Unhinged
by hbwgonnabe
Summary: Finished! Callie’s friend, Angelic, visits Bayport for a few weeks and takes an immediate liking to Joe. Learning he already has a girlfriend, Angelic settles for a newfound friendship with the younger Hardy. However, when it appears she has become the
1. Default Chapter

"Oooh," cooed the girl with the raven hair and emerald eyes as she gazed across the street at a six foot, muscular boy who was raking a hand through golden locks. "Who is that?"

"That's Joe Hardy," answered seventeen-year-old Callie Shaw. She grinned at Angelic as she watched her pull out a mirror and check her lipstick. "His brother's my boyfriend," Callie added, pushing her blond hair away from her eyes.

"You mean there's another one like him?" Angelic demanded as she stood up from the bench she had been sitting on.

"Oh no," Callie assured her. "There is only one Joe hardy. Come on," she added, as she, too, rose. "I'll introduce you."

Frank, who had veen bent under the hood of the boys' van, looked up as the two girls approached, and nudged his brother. Joe turned, saw the girls, and once again raked a hand through his blond hair, this time in an attempt to straighten it.

"Hi," Joe said, his blue eyes twinkling.

"Hello," answered Angelic, huskily.

"Guys, this is Angelic Deveraux," Callie introduced them. "We met at camp a few years ago. Angelic, this is Joe and Frank Hardy."

"Hello Angelic," his smile evident in his brown eyes. Angelic gave Frank's six foot one frame a cursory glance before stepping up to Joe and placing a hand on his arm.

Frank raised his eyebrows at Callie who smothered a grin and reached up to move a stray strand of brown hair from his forehead.

"I'm going to be in Bayport for a couple of weeks," Angelic told Joe. "I could really use someone to show me around."

"Callie's the one to do it," Joe told her. "She had to make a map of all the area tourist attractions for geography class last semester."

"I'm sure she's an excellent guide," Angelic said. "But it would be so much more fun if there were more than just the two of us. I mean, what if we ran into trouble?" she added, running her hand up his arm to rest on his shoulder.

"You've got a point," Joe admitted, ignoring the predatory gleam in Angelic's eyes. "Frank, why don't we call Iola and Chet then the six of us can have some fun?" Joe suggested, looking over at his brother.

"Great idea!" Callie interjected. "Iola is Joe's girlfriend," she told Angelic.

"Oh," Angelic said softly, slowly removing her hand from joe.

"Why don't Angelic and I call Iola and Chet while you two finish up here?" Callie suggested.

"Good idea," Frank agreed.

"What are you doing?" Angelic asked, wrinkling her nose as she gazed under the hood of the van.

"Tightening the distributor cap," Joe answered, as Callie took Angelic's arm and pulled her away.

"I think she likes you," Frank told Joe, closing the hood of the van.

Joe shrugged without saying anything, causing Frank to look at him closely. "What gives? I thought you would be on cloud nine. I sure would be if a girl that beautiful were interested in me."

"I don't know," responded Joe. "There's just something weird about her."

"Maybe you just think so because you care about Iola so much," Frank suggested.

"No," Joe denied hesitantly. "I do care a lot about Iola, but I just have this strange feeling about Angelic." he gave himself a little shake. "Come on, we'd better get washed up," he said, turning toward the pizzeria and walking away. Frank looked at Joe's retreating back with a worried frown as he followed him into the restaurant.

"Come on," Iola urged Joe, her black hair hitting his shoulder as she spun around and grabbed his hand. Her brown eyes twinkled up at him. "I know you hate amusement rides but show Angelic how brave you are," she teased.

Joe grinned at Iola and allowed her to drag him into the amusement park. He tagged along with the others on a dozen rides until they got to the roller coaster. "No," Joe said, bucking.

"Aw, come on Joe," Callie taunted. "Not chicken, are you?"

"No!" Joe denied vehemently. "However, my lunch was," he added, a hand on his stomach.

"Huh?" demanded chunky, blond-headed, green-eyed, Chet Morton.

"We had fried chicken for lunch," Frank explained to his confused friend.

"And that's going to stop you?" demanded Chet.

"You bet," Joe replied happily and walked away.

"Why doesn't he like to ride?" Angelic asked Frank.

"He has had a few unpleasant experiences with amusement parks and carnivals," he told her.

"Yeah," broke in Chet. "One time he was tied up and blind folded then left on top of the Ferris Wheel."

"But the first time we went to an amusement park, Joe got separated from mom, dad, and me in the fun house and ended up getting kidnaped," Frank explained. "He hasn't felt comfortable in these kind of places since."

"Poor Joe," murmured Angelic sympathetically.

"Finally we can get on!" interrupted Chet.

"You know, I feel kind of queasy," Angelic said. "I think I'll sit this one out."

"I'll stay with you," offered Iola and Callie at the same time.

"No," Angelic said quickly. "I would feel worse if i made you two miss the ride. I'll be fine," she assured them as they climbed into their car.

A couple of minutes later, Angelic stepped into line behind Joe at the ice cream booth. "Hi," she said, tapping him gently on his back.

Joe spun around, surprise evident in his eyes. "I thought you were riding the roller coaster" he said.

She shook her head. "I'm not much on roller coasters," sheinformed him.

"How are you on ice cream?" Joe asked, smiling with understanding.

"Love it!"

"What flavor?" asked the attendant.

"One chocolate," Joe told him. "And one..." he looked askance at Angelic.

"Chocolate," she replied. "My favorite."

"Two chocolate," Joe ordered, then paid the man. Walking away, Angelic looped an arm through Joe's.

Stopping, joe removed her arm. "Look, you're a nice girl and all but I have a girlfriend," he said.

"I know," she replied. "But what she doesn't know..." she added, standing on tiptoe and putting her lips to Joe's.

"Hold it!" Joe ordered, stepping back out of reach. "I don't cheat."

"I understand," she told him with a sigh. "Really," she insisted, seeing his look of disbelief. "I knew you'd be that way. I suppose that's one of the reasons I like you so much." She gazed at him and Joe felt a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. "If you didn't have a girlfriend, would you have taken me up on my offer?" she asked after a minute had passed.

"Probably," he answered truthfully.

She looked at him for a minute more, then spun on her heel and tossed her untouched ice cream cone into the trash. "We had better get back to the roller coaster. They are probably finished by now." Joe, having lost his desire for the ice cream, followed suit.

"Did you enjoy it?" Angelic asked the others as they approached.

"Always do," answered Chet. "How about dinner?" he continued, forever thinking of his favorite past time, eating.

"Angelic, are you feeling better?" Iola asked, shooting her brother a look.

"I'm fine now, thanks," Angelic replied. "Actually, I am kind of hungry."

"How about pizza?" Frank suggested. "I'll treat."

"Why don't you guys meet us at the pizza place?" Angelic asked. "I need to go and change," she added, pointing at the chocolate stain on her blouse. "Callie, Iola, you don't mind do you?'

"Of course not," Iola tol her. "Chet, give me your car keys," she ordered her brother.

"We'll follow you and then we can all go together," Joe broke in with a slight frown on his face.

"Don't be silly," Callie admonished him. "You guys go ahead and order. Then we won't have to wait for it to be cooked after we get there."

"See you," iola said, giving Joe a kiss on the cheek. Joe smiled thinly at her before following Frank and Chet to the van.

"What is with you?" Frank demanded after they had gotten into the van.

"Angelic made a pass at me," Joe said quietly.

"When?" Chet asked in surprise.

"While you were on the roller coaster. Look, I can't explain it but I just have this bad feeling about her," he continued in a worried tone.

"I think you've been working too hard," Chet said. "The last mystery you two solved was hairy."

"I hate to admit it little brother, but you have been looking kind of tired lately," Frank said softly. "Maybe you're stressed out."

Joe started to argue, but Chet quickly jumped in. "He's right. Ever since you and Frank started solving mysteries, neither of you have had more than a week between cases, and lately, you generally have another case lined up before you've even finished the last one."

"Dad agrees with him" Frank added before Joe could say anything. "He even suggested we take a vacation."

"When?" Joe demanded.

"Last night, after you conked out on the couch during the early evening news," was the answer.

"We're here," Chet put in, stopping Joe's retort.

Fifteen minutes later, Joe was fidgeting at the table. "Joe, if you don't stop hitting the table with that fork, I am going to break it," Frank warned between clenched teeth.

Joe put the utensil down and looked out the window. "Where are they?" he asked impatiently.

"Relax," ordered Frank. "They'll be here." Just then a yellow car with three girls could be seen entering the parking lot. "See," Frank told Joe. "They're here and they're all right."

After the girls had been seated, joe looked at Angelic. "I thought you were going to change?" he asked suspiciously.

"She didn't have time," Iola answered for her. "Angelic thought you wopuld be worried if we kept you waiting too long, so she decided just to come as she was."

"Then why were you gone so long?" Joe demanded.

"Calm down," Callie ordered Joe, her blue eyes flashing angrily. "You act like we've done something wrong." Frank shot Joe a sharp look which clearly told him to cool it.

"Sorry," Joe apologized. "I guess I'm just tired," he added a bit unhappily.

"Yeah," Chet put in on behalf of his friend. "Even his dad thinks he needs a vacation."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Angelic said softly, looking at Joe. "I do hope you'll be feeling better soon."

Joe just stared at her until he felt Frank kick him under the table. "Yeah,uh,thanks," he finally mumbled.

"Pizza's here," Iola said with relief as two large pizzas were set on the table in front of them.

"How about you and I take in the new movie in town?" Joe whispered in Iola's ear after they had eaten.

"Sounds good," she whispered back.

"We'll see you guys later," Joe said, standing up and pulling Iola to her feet.

"Where are you going?" asked Chet, looking up from his last slice of pizza.

"Away," Joe answered quickly, before Iola could say anything. "I'll have her home by eleven-thirty," he promised Chet. "Take Frank home, hmm?" he asked Callie. Callie nodded and Joe and Iola left the restaurant.

"Why didn't you tell them where we were going?" Iola asked after they were outside.

"I wanted you to myself for a little while," Joe answered.

"You're such a romantic," Iola said with a happy sigh. She took Joe's arm and put it around her waist.

A few minutes later, Iola came to a stop and gasped in pain, bringing both hands to her stomach.

"What's wrong?" Joe asked in alarm.

"I don't," she said, then paused and swallowed as another wave of pain hit. "I don't feel so good," she said finally, before passing out. 


	2. Chapter Two

Two hours later Joe burst into Callie's living room after learning from his mother that Frank and Angelic were there. "Where did you stop before going to the restaurant?" Joe demanded of Angelic.

"Joe!" Frank shouted as he stood up and grabbeb his brother's arm. "What's gotten into you?"

"Iola's in the hospital," Joe told him stonily, glaring at Angelic. "She was poisoned."

Frank and Callie gasped in surprised shock and Angelic's eyes widened. "Will she be all right?" Angelic asked.

"Would you care?" Joe demanded, angrily shaking off Frank's hand. "Where did you get the poison?" he asked her.

"Joe!" Callie shouted, stepping between him and Angelic. "Listen to yourself. Angelic would never do anything like that," she defended the girl. "Apologize!" she ordered angrily.

"I'm sorry," Joe said obediently to Angelic. "I'm sorry you ever came to Bayport," he continued. "But don't think about leaving now. You're going to pay for what you did to Iola," he promised her.

"Get him out of here," Callie told Frank between clenched teeth. "Get him out or he will be the one in the hospital."

Angelic's eyes narrowed at her remark but Frank and Joe were looking at Callie and she was glaring at Joe.

"Come on bro," Frank urged joe, taking his arm again and pulling him out the front door.

"She did it," Joe said hotly after they were in the van. "Why are you protecting her?"

"You don't know that," Frank tried to reason with him.

"Yes, I do," Joe insisted.

"How?" Frank demanded. "Did you see her put poison in something Iola ate or drank?" he asked.

"I told you she made a pass at me in the park," Joe said.

"You may be a great catch but a girl isn't going to try and klill someone over you," Frank said. "Your ego can't get any higher if you actually believe what you're saying."

"She asked me if I didn't have a girlfriend if I would have taken her up on her offer," Joe told him wearily. "And fool that I was, I told her yes." Joe leaned his head against the door's window. "It has to be her," he went on. "Who else would want to hurt Iola?"

Frank gave Joe a quick glance as he pulled the van into their driveway, but refrained from reminding Joe about the many enemies they had made since they became detectives who might try and get at them through the people they care about. Instead, he released his and Joe's seat belts and said, "Let's go in and get some sleep."

"Sleep?" Joe asked, jerking his head up and staring at Frank with snapping blue eyes. "Iola was nearly killed a couple of hours ago and you want to go to bed?"

"You won't be of any use to her or anyone if you're too tired to function," Frank said gently. "We'll find out who's responsible," Frank promised.

"I know who's responsible," Joe insisted stubbornly.

"Then we'll find proof," Frank said, desperate to get Joe inside and calmed down.

"You're home early," commented Mrs. Hardy as her sons walked into the living room.

"Iola's in the hospital," Joe told her, his face rigid. "She was poisoned."

"Will she be all right?" she asked, placing a hand on his arm and looking at him with sympathetic hazel eyes.

"They're keeping her for a couple of days, but they think so," Joe answered.

"Why don't you go upstairs and get ready for bed?" she suggested. "I'll bring you some warm milk to help you sleep." Joe nodded and went upstairs.

Frank looked at his slender mother with worry in his eyes. "Where's Dad?" he asked as he followed her into the kitchen.

"Right here," Mr. Hardy answered from the kitchen table, a half cup of cocoa in front of him. "Is something wrong?" Fenton Hardy was the world's most famous private investigator but he was always available to lend help to his sons even if they only needed to talk to him.

Frank sat down in the chair across from his father and looked at his inquisitiveeyes and other features which so resembled his own. "I'm worried about Joe," he said.

"What about Joe?" prompted Mr. Hardy when Frank never said anything else. Frank looked at his mother but she put her hands on her hips and glared at him.

"Joesph is my son too," she asserted. "If there's something wrong with him I have a right to know."

"Sorry," Frank mimbled and looked at his lap where he clasped his hands. He then told his parent's about Joe's unwarranted animosity towards Angelic and about how he was certain she was responsible for what had happened to Iola.

"Son, what have your mother and I always tried to teach you?" Mr. Hardy asked gently.

"To do the right thing," Frank answered obediently, tilting his head slightly to the left side as he tried to figure out what his dad was trying to tell him.

"And how do you know the right thing?" Mr. Hardy asked.

"It's kind of instinctive," Frank replied with a lazy grin.

"Is it possible Joe has instinctively picked up on something you haven't?" asked his mother.

"I suppose so," Frank said slowly. "But there's no proof Angelic has done anything. The motive he has is pretty lame," he added.

"Is there any proof she hasn't done anything?" Mrs. Hardy asked him. Frank shook his head.

"Affairs of the heart are to blame for a lot of violence," she continued. "Perhaps Joe has sensed she is a bit mentally unbalanced."

"It doesn't make sense," Frank started to argue with her.

"Would it make more sense if your brother were going crazy?" she countered, taking a mug and pouring milk from a pan into it. Picking up the mug, she left the room.

"Son," Mr. Hardy said, breaking into Frank's thoughts, "I know Joe's tired, but so are you. You've worked together and been through a lot. Have you ever had cause to doubt Joe's instincts?"

"Not very often," Frank answered. "But he has been working a lot and he's stressed out."

"Consider this," Mr. Hardy said rising and going to the sink to rinse out his cup. "You have been through just as much as Joe over the past few months. Are you nearly as stressed out as you believe your brother to be?" He walked to the doorway and paused. "Sleep on it," he suggested.

"Up and at'em baby brother," Frank said the next morning walking into Joe's room and pulling the cover off of him. Joe groaned and turned over. "Wake up Joe," Frank insisted. "We've got a mystery to solve."

"Angelic did it," Joe said, sitting up.

"Then we have to prove it," Frank told him. "But let me be the one to talk to Callie," he advised. "Hurry up," he added, leaving the room. "Mom's putting breakfast on the table."

When Joe got downstairs, Frank was just hanging up the phone. "Callie went over to visit Iola," he told Joe. "Why don't we stop by the pizza joint and check the place out?"

"Why?" Joe demanded. "All we have to do is search Angelic's things and find the poison she used on Iola. We can't do that at the pizza place."

"Be reasonable," Frank said. "Pretend it was Chet instead of Iola who had been poisoned. Would you still think Angelic was responsible? What would you do?"

"I'd go to the pizza joint and see if they store any poisons at the place," Joe admitted after a slight pause.

"Good," Frank gave a sigh of relief because it looked like Joe was going to cooperate. "Do you know what kind of poison was used?" he asked.

"A type of rat poison," Joe replied sheepishly.

"Rats at a pizza place," Frank said with a grin. "I can buy that."

"Okay, okay," Joe said. "I see where you're going with this. You think it could have been an accident."

"It is possible some poison was in her glass," Frank said. "It couldn't have been the pizza or we all would have gotten sick."

"I guess," Joe grudgingly admitted. "But my money's on Angelic."

"Guys!" came a shout from across the room as the Hardy boys entered the pizza place a litle later that morning. Frank and Joe walked over to where some of their friends were sitting.

"How's Iola?" blond, beefy Biff Hooper asked.

"She's going to be all right," Joe answered.

"I heard you were with her when she was admitted to the hospital last night," Biff's date, Karen black said, looking at Joe. "What was wrong with her?"

"She ingested some rat poison," Joe told her.

"Didn't you guys eat here?" Biff asked, turning a pale green as he looked at the half-eaten pizza.

"Yeah," Joe responded. "But Iola's the only one who got sick. I don't think it was the food," he added.

"Joe," Frank said with a degree of warning which his brother ignored.

"Then how was she poisoned?" Karen asked.

"Angelic tried to kill her," Joe answered with a groan from Frank.

"You're crazy!" exploded Karen. "Angelic is a sweet girl. She could no more hurt Iola than you could hurt Frank."

"Why does everyone want to defend her?" Joe demanded angrily.

"Why are you condemning her?" Karen retaliated.

"I have my reasons," Joe replied.

"What?"

"Never mind," Joe said and turned and walked away.

"Sorry," Frank said to Karen and Biff before following Joe to the counter.

"You know you can't accuse someone without proof," Frank reprimanded his brother when he had caught up to him.

"Sorry," growled Joe. "I just can't stand seeing everyone trust her."

"Maybe you're wrong about her," Frank said in exasperation, regretting the words even before they had left his mouth. Joe stared at Frank until the manager arrived at the counter then turned and walked from the building.

The manager cleared his throat as Frank watched Joe leave. "May I help you?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah," Frank said, giving his attention to the manager. "I was wondering what kind of pest control you use?'

"You want to know what happened with the girl last night?" he asked, referring to Iola. The mamager had lived in Bayport long enough to know of the Hardys' reputation for crime solving. "The police have questioned the staff and myself and made a thorough search," he informed Frank. "But you may look the place over if you choose."

"What kind of pest control do you use?" Frank asked again, as he came behind the counter at the manager's invitation.

"Basically, we use an exterminator which takes care of the place on a monthly basis," the manager said. "Recently," he continued, "we have even started a natural means of controlling rodents."

"Natuaral?" Frank asked.

"Cats."

An hour later, Frank had finished his investigation at the restaurant and was on his way to the hospital. "Hi," Frank said, stepping into Iola's room a few minutes later. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better," Iola told him, smiling. "The doctor said I can go home tomorrow."

"Joe said he left you at the pizza place," said Mr. Morton. "You just missed him."

"Did you find out anything at the restaurant?" asked Mrs. Morton.

"They don't use any kind of rat poison," Frank informed the group. "They do, however, have a family of cats at the back of the store."

"Can they do that at a restaurant?" asked Callie in disbelief.

"They stay outside in the alley," Frank explained. "There are a couple of mouse traps inside, but mailnly they use an exterminator." After a few more minutes, Frank made his excuses and left the room.

Callie caught up with Frank at the elevator. "What's with Joe?" she asked as they got on.

"He was upset last night," Frank started to make an excuse for his brother only to be interrupted.

"I meant today," she said, surprising Frank. "He came in and got Iola to tell him where we went last night before meeting you guys."

"I can't believe Joe would chance upsetting Iola like that!" Frank exploded, running his left hand through his hair.

"He didn't," Callie said soothingly, surprising Frank even more. "He was very discreet and indirect, but the result was the same."

"He's convinced Angelic is responsible for what happened to Iola," Frank told her. "No matter what I say, I can't get through to him," he added with despair.

"What?" Callie asked. "He told us he felt Angelic may have been the real target."

"Why would he say that?" Frank wondered out loud.

"He said since Iola and Angelic were sitting beside each other, the poison must have been put into the wrong drink."

"Then why ask where you went?" Frank asked.

"He said we might have been followed."

"No," Frank said with a definite shake of his head. "He really believes she is guilty. He must have just said it so you would tell him what he wanted to know."

"That rat!" Callie shouted, as they got off the elevator and went into the hospital's garage. "He got me to tell him everything I know about her," she explained her outburst to Frank. "I really thought he was worried about her," she added, picturing Joe suspended over a pot of boiling water.

Frank put an arm around Callie's shoulders and kissed her forehead. "Take it easy," he said softly. "I'll try again to get through to him. But Joe did have a point," he added thoughtfully.

"What?" Callie took a step back and stared at her boyfriend as if she were seeing him for the first time.

"Maybe Angelic was the real target," Frank explained his former statement. "Joe and I weren't working on anything until this came up," he added. "Tell me about Angelic."

"I really don't know much about her," Callie said. "We both were at Camp Broadstone about three years ago. We didn't really hang out together. She was shy and kind of kept to herself. Her parents are wealthy," she added. "That could be a motive, but if so it looks like someone would try to kidnap her instead of kill her."

"Maybe someone has something against her parents," Frank theorized. "Going after their daughter would be a great revenge tactic."

"I hope you're wrong," Callie said. "She's so nice. We watched lassie after you two left last night and she cried almost all the way through it. She's very sensitive and Joe's persecution is really hurting her," she added.

"Is she staying with you?" Frank asked.

"No," Callie answered. "She spent last night because it was so late, but she is staying at the Bayport Inn with her dad. I think she said her mom was still in Missouri."

"I think it's time to talk to Angelic's father," Frank said. "Do you need a ride?" he asked Callie.

"Uh-uh," she said and pointed to her car. Frank walked her over and said good-bye. He had made it half of the way back to the van when he heard a loud explosion from behind him. He turned around and saw flames shooting form beneath the hood of Callie's car! 


	3. Chapter Three

"Callie!" Frank shouted as he broke into a run. He saw her jump out of her car and run toward him. He gathered her into his arms and gave her a big hug. "Are you okay?" he asked huskily.

She nodded, but didn't move from the safety of his embrace where she stood trembling. "What happened?" she asked in a whisper.

Frank merely shook his head as the parking lot filled with staff seeking to see if anyone had been hurt, while the wail of a siren could be heard in the distance.

After the fire department and police had left, Frank helped Callie into the van. "Who would do that?" she asked him. They had been informed that every part of her engine had been rigged with firecrackers.

"I don't know," Frank said. "But I guess this means Angelic isn't the target," he added. "If she were, there would be no reason for this attack on you," he reasoned.

"Actually, she could still be the target," Callie told him. "She borrowed my car the day before yesterday. Someone could have seen her and thought it belonged to her."

"So we're back where we started," Frank stated. "I'll drop you off at home and then go and have a talk with Angelic's dad."

After dropping Callie off, Frank drove to the Bayport Inn and parked. He saw Joe leaving and ran to catch up with him. "Joe!" he shouted to catch his attention. Joe looked over his shoulder and came to a standstill to wait for Frank to reach him.

"We need to talk," Frank said.

"I thought you said everything," Joe replied a bit too calmly.

"I need my partner," Frank told him in frustration. "But more importantly, I need my brother. Won't you just hear me out?" Seeing the hesitant look on Joe's face, he added, "Please?" Joe nodded and the two went to the van and climbed in.

"Angelic's dad isn't here," Joe told Frank.

"How did you know I had come to see Mr. Deveraux?" Frank asked, admiration in his voice at his brother's deduction.

"Simple," Joe said with a sly grin. "I let Callie think Angelic might be a target. I knew you would check out the possibility."

"But you thought she was guilty," Frank said in confusion.

"I still do," admitted Joe. "But this way you'll be investigating her any way. Even if it's from a different angle," he added grudgingly.

"Conned by my own brother," Frank said in amused disgust. He started the van and headed home. On the way, he told Joe about the attack on Callie. "Why would Angelic go after Callie?" he tried to reason with Joe. "She's my girlfriend and would pose no threat to any relationship you think she may want with you."

"I don't know," Joe said. "But I'm sure she came up with a reason," he added stubbornly.

"We can't keep working at cross purposes," Frank said.

"You're right," Joe agreed immediately, preventing Frank from finishing what he was going to say. "I suggest we tackle this from both angles. I will consider the fact she may be a victim if you will consider the fact she may be the one behind the attacks."

"In that case we had better check to see if Iola and Callie were the real targets," Frank said. He thought an old enemy might have shown up in town.

"I had dad check to see if anyone we've sent up has been released recently," Joe told him before Frank could voice his thoughts. "Only two men have been released recently. Both on parole and both in California."

"Okay," Frank said slowly, realizing Joe had been one step ahead of him all day. "What else did you learn today?"

Joe shook his head. "You first. Did you find anything out at the restaurant?"

"No," Frank replied. "But I ruled out an accident when Callie's engine blew up."

"I went to the convenience store where the girls stopped last night and talked with the clerk. Iola bought a new diary," Joe said.

"They carry those things?" Frank asked in surprise.

"You'd be amazed by what they have," Joe said with a laugh. "Anyway, Angelic never bought anything."

"So she couldn't have poisoned Iola," Frank said triumphantly.

"Angelic and Callie were in the store with Iola," Joe said. "I looked down the aisle where the diaries are," he added. "The rat poison is on the shelf directly across from them. Angelic could have stolen some," he concluded. A couple of minutes passed while Joe allowed Frank time to think about what he said. "Do you know where Angelic was today?" he asked. Frank shook his head.

"It might be interesting to see if she was near the hospital," Joe said thoughtfully.

"No one at the hospital saw anyone near Callie's car," Frank told him.

"But did anyone see Angelic there at all?" Joe parried. "She hadn't been to see Iola when I was there," he added. "And didn't you say she wasn't around while you were there?"

"Okay," Frank finally agreed. "We'll check there tomorrow after we talk to Angelic's dad."

The next morning found the boys in the lobby of the Bayport Inn. "Room 419," Joe told Frank. "Angelic is in the room next to his."

After the third knock, Angelic opened the door of her father's room. Joe stiffened but kept quiet and let Frank do the talking. "Hi," Frank said. "Could we please talk to your dad?" he asked.

"Dad went to a meeting this morning," she told them. "I was just getting a book from his suitcase," she added,explaining why she was in his room.

"Do you know what time he'll be back?" Frank asked.

"He said it would be late," she replied, flicking a glance at Joe's stiff face. "Why did you want to see him?"

"Someone attacked Callie yesterday," Joe said, watching her closely.

"Oh no!" she cried, raising a hand to her mouth as her eyes widened in shock. "is she all right?"

"She's fine," Frank quickly assurred her. "The thing is," he started to explain only to be interrupted by Joe.

"We believe it's possible you may be the real target," Joe said abruptly.

"Me?" squeaked Angelic. "Who would want to hurt me?" she asked in disbelief.

"That's why we want to talk to your father," Frank said, shooting Joe a look which clearly told him he was acting like a jerk. "We wanted to see if there was anyone who might have a grudge against him."

"It's possible," she said thoughtfully. "If you'll give me your phone number, I'll ask him to call you when I see him." Frank gave it to her and she wrote it down on the inside flap of the book she held.

"What are your plans for today?" Frank asked her. When she looked at him with a scowl, he explained, "If you are the target, it's not a good idea for you to be by yourself."

"I need to go to the library," she said, gazing at Joe through her lashes. "Then I thought I might visit Callie. Are you going to be my escort?" she asked Joe, lifting her lashes and staring into his eyes.

"That's what we had in mind," Frank said, shocking Joe into silence. Frank shot Joe a look which told him not to argue, before continuing, "Why don't you get ready and Joe and I will wait for you?"

"All right," she said, closing her dad's door and going to her room. Frank and Joe followed her inside where she picked up some clothes from the bed and headed into the bathroom as Frank took a seat by the window and Joe sat down on the bed.

As soon as the bathroom door closed, Joe leapt off the bed and headed to the dresser. He had searched all the drawers and was reaching for her purse when he felt Frank's restraining hand on his wrist. "She turned the shower off," Frank whispered the warning.

"Why did you volunteer us to stay with her?" Joe whispered back angrily.

"Not us," Frank denied with a shake of his head. "You." Joe's eyes shot daggers at Frank. "You don't trust her," Frank continued. "This way you can keep an eye on her while I check out some other things."

"Such as?" Joe demanded.

"I'm going to have Sam run a background check on Angelic's dad. I think Callie said his name was Daniel."

"That won't take all day," Joe argued. He didn't want to be alone with Angelic even for a minute. "You could call him from the van."

"I'm also going to be following you two to see if anyone is following her," Frank continued. Joe nodded grudging acceptance at Frank's plan. They heard the knob on the bathroom start to turn and Joe hurriedly sat on the bed as Frank made a dash for the chair.

They had just made it as the door opened and Angelic stepped out. "Ready," she said brightly, picking up her purse and leading the way out.

Joe fell into step behind Angelic with Frank beside him. "If we have the van, how are you going to follow us?" Joe whispered.

"I'll take my cycle," Frank whispered back. Out loud he asked, "Can you two drop me off at home on your way to the library? I have a few errands to run."

"I'm in no hurry," Angelic assured him, slowing down. Her slowed pace forced Frank to fall in behind Joe at which point, Angelic fell into step beside Joe.

After Frank had been dropped off at home, he went inside and called Sam Radley. Sam was an associate of their father's who frequently helped them gather information on a suspect. After hanging up he ran into the garage andstarted up his motorcycle and took off for the library. He wanted to stay far enough away from Joe and Angelic so he could spot anyone who might be following them. He arrived at the library in time to see them climb the steps and enter the building.

Inside, Angelic went to the microfilm department and checked out two boxes. Then she and Joe found a vacant viewer and took their seats.

"i'm sorry for throwing myself at you the other day," Angelic apologized to Joe as she loaded the film into the viewer. When he didn't reply, she continued, "I didn't know you and Iola were so close. I'll keep my distance," she promised, sounding sincere.

Joe looked at her thoughtfully. He reflected on the events of the past two days and considered the argument his brother had used. He was almost ready to believe her. Almost. "Okay," he finally answered, vowing silently to stay alert in case it was a trick. "We'll forget about it," he added with a smile. "What are you looking for?" he asked, suddenly becoming aware of her pausing the film every time it made a reference to a crime.

"I'm doing a short biography for my history class. I need to choose someone who is still alive yet has made a marked difference in the history of theis country," she told him, flipping the film until it rested on a picture of a brown headed man with familiar brown eyes.

"School doesn't start back for another two weeks," Joe said suspiciously.

"I know," she told him with a little laugh. "A friend of mine had Mr. Eller for history last year and she said this was her first assignment. I thought I would get a head start," she explained.

"Callie told me all about your dad," she continued when Joe made no comment. "He sounded like the perfect person to do my report on. If you're willing, you could be one of my sources," she added.

"I have a better idea," Joe said. "How would you like to talk to him personally?" he asked, surprising her. He thought if his dad could meet her then he would be able to decide if she were as innocent as she appeared.

"Do you really think he would give me an interview?" she asked, excited.

"If he's home for dinner tonight, I'm sure of it," he assured her. "You will join us?" he asked.

"I'd be delighted," she purred, then turned to the screen and started taking notes. Two hours later they exited the building and headed for Callie's house. Along the way, Angelic plied Joe with questions about Mr. Hardy which Joe answered as truthfully as he could without giving any information which might be used against him or his family if she turned out not to be trustworthy.

Less than a mile behind them, Frank kept watch for anyone following the van. He saw them pull off the highway and pulled into the exit lane to follow. As he approached the turn off he felt a searing pain as a green sedan swerved past him, striking the side of his cycle and sending him flying off the bike. 


	4. Chapter Four

Callie was pleased to see Angelic but surprised to see Joe accompanying her. Her amazement grew when Joe sat down on the sofa beside Angelic.  
"What happened?" Callie asked, perplexed.

"We patched up our differences," Angelic told her, smiling at Joe who grinned back and nodded agreement at Callie. "Joe even invited me over to his house for dinner tonight," Angelic added happily.

"Why?" Callie asked, still suspicious of Joe's intentions.

"To help e with my biography," Angelic replied. "I've decided to do it on Mr. Hardy. Joe's been a great help," she went on. "He's answered every question I asked him. I can even tell you what kind of toothpaste Mr. Hardy uses."

They chatted for a time, then Joe decided it was time for them to leave. "All this girl talk is kind of weird," he said with a grimace. Laughing, Callie got up to walk them to the door. As Callie reached out to open the door, there came a knock. She opened the door to reveal a bedraggled Frank.

"What happened?" Joe asked with concern, rushing over to his brother and helping him into the living room.

Seeing the cuts and bruises, Callie went to get the first aid kit. She was back in a minute and began patching him up. "What happened to you?" she asked, applying a bandage to his upper arm.

"I was following about a mile behind you two and was just getting ready to take the exit when I got sideswiped," Frank told them. "I guess whoever is after Angelic spotted me tailing you."

"You were following us?"Angelic asked angrily.

"I thought I could catch a glimpse of whoever was waging these attacks on you," he explained defensively.

"Did you?" Joe asked.

Frank shook his head. "I didn't even see the car that got me. One of the witnesses said it was a green coupe, but he didn't fet a tag number or see who was driving." He looked over at Angelic who seemed to be in shock. "I don't think it's wise for you to be alone until we find out who is after you."

"You can stay with me,"Callie told Angelic, putting an arm around the girl's shoulders.

"No!" Joe shouted, only to have everyone stare at him. "They all ready tried to kill Angelic twice," Joe said, quickly explaining his outburst. "If she stays here, you'll both be targets," he added to Callie.

"She can't stay alone," Callie argued. "So unless you are expecting her to stay at your house, she stays here."

"Good idea," Frank broke in. "We have a great alarm system She would be safer at our house." Joe looked at him with disbelief. He hadn't wanted Angelic to stay with Callie because he still didn't trust her and now it looked like she would be staying with his own family!

"If you're sure?" Angelic asked. Then quickly continued before Frank could change his mind, "I would feel so much better. Dad's meetings have kept him away from the hotel for most of our stay and I am usually by myself at night. I'm sure he wouldn't mind," she added.

"That's settled then," Frank said. "If you're ready, we'll run by your hotel and you can move your stuff to our place and check out. After you get your father's permission, of course."

"Be sure and tell him Frank and I would like to talk to him," Joe added.

"I will," she promised, rising from the sofa, with joe and Frank following suit. "Bye Callie," she said, walking to the door.

"Bye," Callie said. "Take care of her," she cautioned Frank with a glance at Joe.

"We will," Frank assured her. Joe and Angelic walked out to the van and Frank followed a couple of minutes later.

When they arrived at the Bayport Inn, Angelic told the boys, "It may be awhile before I can get in touch with my father. It will take at least an hour to pack," she added. "And I'm sure I'll be safe in my room. So if you two have something you need to do until then, feel free."

"You sure you'll be okay?" Joe asked her before Frank could object. At her nod, he added, "Stay inside and keep the door locked." He then took Frank's arm and hustled him downstairs and out into the van.

After closing his door, he turned on Frank. "How could you invite her to stay with us?" Joe demanded furiously. "Have you lost your mind?"

"Calm down," ordered Frank. "Someone tried to kill me today and it wasn't Angelic. When are you going to accept the that she's the victim?"

"Today could have been an accident," Joe argued.

"The car left the scene," Frank said, disagreeing.

"You never heard of a hit and run?" Joe persisted.

"What is with you?" Frank asked, ignoring Joe's question. "You two have been acting like best buds and you still suspect her?"

"We've called a truce," Joe replied. "But I've yet to see any proof she's innocent."

"That's not how it works little brother," Frank said quietly. "You have to prove they're guilty."

"We better let mom and dad know we're having a guest," Frank said when Joe never spoke. Frank picked up the phone and called home. "Mom said to bring her on over," he told Joe after he had hung up. "Dad had to leave town on a case so he won't be there. Sam called," he added. "He hasn't had time to find out anything on Mr. Deveraux yet, but he said he would have something for us by the day after tomorrow at the latest."

"I guess he's busy with a case of his own," commented Joe. "Let's go back to Angelic," he added, surprising his brother.

"Why?" Frank asked suspiciously.

"You're right," Joe admitted, a little ashamed of himself. "I guess I could be wrong about her and if so I wouldn't want anything to happen to her because of my pig-headedness." Smiling, Frank climbed out of the van and went inside the hotel with Joe.

Angelic opened the door on the fifth knock. "Hey," Joe said with a frown. "We were starting to get worried."

"You were?" she asked with a slight smile. "I was in the restroom and didn't hear you knocking," she explained.

"Have you gotten in touch with your dad yet?" Frank asked.

"Yes," she told him. "He said he was relieved I had such good friends. Oh," she added as an afterthought, "he also said he would like to speak with you as well but he would be tied up with a meeting for most of the day. He wondered if ten o'clock would be too late for you to meet with him?"

"That's fine," Frank said. "Joe can keep you company while I go and see him," he said, thinking out loud. "That way, you'll still hae a bodyguard."

"It wouldn't be a good idea for you to be out at night," Joe explained. "It would be easier to arrange an attack."

Angelic nodded in understanding. "Dad asked for you to meet him at Pier Eight. He should be back by then."

"Back?" Frank asked with a frown.

"His meeting is on the Santa Clara," she told him with a little laugh, as she packed. "Dad was looking forward to this meeting because he loves boating." An hour later she had finished packing and was ready to leave. "Why don't you carry these to the van while I check out?" she suggested as they exited the elevator. A few minutes later, she joined them outside.

"Mom," Frank said, walking into his house a few minutes later. "This is Angelic Deveraux."

"I'm so glad you'll be staying with us," Mrs. Hardy said, smiling at the young girl.

"I don't want to be any trouble," Angelic said in a small voice.

"No trouble," mrs. Hardy assured her. She turned to Joe. "Take her cases to your room. I've put you in with Frank." Joe did as he was told because he knew better than to argue with his mother.

After dinner, Angelic told Mrs. hardy and Frank about the biography she was doing. After a little while she began to get sleepy. "I'm sorry," she apologized after attempting to smother another yawn.

"Nonsense," said Mrs. Hardy. "I'm sure you've had a long day. Why don't you go on to bed?"

"If you don't mind?" she asked. "I am very tired." Saying good night to everyone, she retired to Joe's room for the evening.

"Since she's safe in bed, why don't I go with you to meet her dad?" Joe suggested a little bit later.

Frank nodded his assent. "Mom, would you turn the alarm system on after we leave?" he asked.

"Of course," she agreed. "When you get back, call me on your car phone and I'll switch it off for you." As they started to leave she said, "Go upstairs and get a jacket. It's getting chilly."

Upstairs, Joe stepped to his bedroom door and listened. "She must really have been tired," he said as Frank came up to him and handed him a jacket from his closet.

They arrived at the pier twenty minutes early. "Let's find where the Santa Clara berth is," Joe suggested.

"Okay," Frank agreed. "You check left, I'll check right. We'll meet back here in ten minutes." A few minutes later Frank located the ship. He called out but no one answered. he went back and found Joe waiting.

"I found it," Frank told his brother. "But I don't think anyone's on board," he added with a worried frown.

"Maybe by the time we get back to it, someone will be," Joe said. "It's almost ten."

Reaching the boat, they saw a lone figure walk behind the cabin. Frank called out but the figure never reappeared.

"Let's check it out," Joe said, jumping from the dock to the boat with Frank at his heels. While Frank looked around above deck, Joe looked below.

Frank saw something lying by the mast and was going over for a closer look when Joe came running up from below, grabbed him and dived overboard still holding on to him. They hadn't touched the water when the night exploded with a thunderous roar and a dazzling display of light lit up the sky. 


	5. Chapter Five

Frank broke the surface seconds later and looked around for Joe. "Joe!" Frank shouted, not seeing him. He splashed around in a circle. Still not seeing his brother, he dived into the murky water. He saw something floating towards the top out of the corner of his eye and changed direction. He gave a hard kick and snared his brother's limp form, bringing him to the surfacce, and swam rapidly for the dock.  
Reaching the dock, he shoved Joe up on dry land then climbed ut. He laid Joe on his back and checked for a pulse as the wail of sirens filled the air. Finding a pulse, but not detecting any breathing, Frank began administering mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. An ambulance came to a stop a few feet away as Joe made a strangling sound. Frank turned him over on his side and water dribbled from his mouth as he coughed.

"What happened here?" came an authoritative voice from behind Frank.

Frank turned to see tall, graying Ezra Collig, Bayport's Chief of Police, striding towards him. "The boat blew up," Frank told him grimly, as two paramedics came over to Joe.

"I can see that," responded the chief with a scowl. "Why did it blow up?"

"Bomb," Joe wheezed between coughs.

"Is he going to be all right?" Chief Collig demanded of the paramedics after they had checked his pulse and lungs.

"Yes, sir," was the reply. "He should go home and get some rest though."

"He will," Frank said, accepting a towel to dry off with as another paramedic helped towel down Joe.

"Would you care to explain why you two were on a boat with a bomb?" Chief Collig asked.

"We came to meet someone," Frank said and then explained what had happened.

As Frank finished, another officer appeared. "Sir," he said when Frank had finished talking. "The alarm system at the Hardy house has gone off. A car is on the way there now." He glanced at Frank and Joe. "You'd better get home," he advised.

"Let's go," Frank said, giving Joe a hand to help him to his feet.

"I'll lead the way," Chief Collig told them. "Lieutenant Rogers take over here," he ordered the officer as he headed toward the cruiser.

"Whoever it was got away, Sir," the officer at the Hardy household said when Chief Collig arrived. Frank and Joe ran into the house to check on their mother.

Angelic was in tears when they came into the room but calmed down when she saw them. Their mother, however, became excited when she saw the dampness of their clothes. "What happened to you two?" she asked, anxiously.

Joe gave them an edited version of what had happened at the pier then sat down beside Angelic and took her hand in his. Looking into her eyes he said reassuringly, "Your dad wasn't on the boat."

"That's a relief," she said with a sad smile.

"Listen, Angelic, I owe you an apology," Joe continued softly. Frank and Mrs. Hardy went outside to talk with the police and left them alone.

"For what?" Angelic asked huskily, gazing into his troubled bue eyes.

"I'm going to sound like the biggest egomaniac and a world class heel when I tell you," he promised, his mouth set in a derisive grin.

"So tell me anyway," she urged softly. "I can't hold it against you if you're apologizing for it," she assured him with a gentle squeeze on his hand.

Joe took a deep breath and, looking at her hand in his, confessed his suspicions of her. "I realized tonight I've been wrong and completely unfair to you," he ended.

"Why tonight?" she asked quietly.

"I nearly died tonight," he told her and her face went white with shock. "If you had been guilty with the motive I'd given you then you never would have tried to kill me."

"What do you mean you nearly died?" she asked, ignoring everything else he had said. "You never mentioned it."

"There wasn't any sense in worrying you or mom," he excused himself. "Am I forgiven?" he asked, once again looking into her eyes.

"Of course," she told him, rising as Joe stood and pulled her to her feet.

"What say we go and see if they found out anything about our intruder?" Joe asked, his blue eyes dark as the evening shadows danced around the room lit only by a single lamp.

"Find anything?" Joe asked as he and Angelic approached Frank and Mrs. Hardy outside.

"Nothing," Frank said in disgust. "The ground is too hard for any footprints," he added. "You two patched things up?" he asked, looking at Angelic.

Angelic nodded. "Joe's not so bad," she said. "He just needs a little help sorting the facts every now and then," she added teasingly.

"You pegged him in a hurry," Frank complimented her with a sly grin at Joe.

"How about cocoa all around?" Mrs. Hardy asked the teens. The police have finished," she added.

"Sounds good," Joe replied and the others agreed.

"You boys go and change while Angelic and I make the cocoa," Mrs. Hardy instructed her sons. "But hurry," she added. "It won't take long."

Over coca, they discussed the case. "Angelic, do you know of any reason someone might want to hurt you?" Frank asked. She shook her head. "What about your dad?" Frank persisted. "Does he have any enemies you know of?"

"I can only think of two people who really hated my dad," she answered. "Carl Cavanaugh and Dusty Bryson."

"What do they have against him?" Joe asked.

"Cavanaugh blamed my dad for his having to declare bankruptcy a couple of years ago," she told him. "Dad had bought Cavanaugh's company and was going to expand slowly but Cavanaugh rushed into things and used dad's money to double the size of the company within one year. The profits weren't keeping up with the expenses so dad got out by selling to a corprorate raider. The company was dissolved and Cavanaugh was dismissed. He had to declare personal bankryptcy within six months."

"Sounds like a good motive to me," Joe said with a scowl.

"What about Dusty Bryson," Frank asked.

"Dusty's wife was terminally ill when he worked for dad. Dad made allowances for him, but there was an emergency one night and dad told him he was needed at the plant. His wife died before he returned home."

"Sounds like an even better motive," Frank said with a look at Joe.

"Did he just go home and find her?" Joe asked with morbid curiosity.

"No," Angelic replied. "The lady who was taking care of her called and told Dusty his wife was getting worse and he had better hurry home." Looking sad, she continued, "Dad sent him straight home but it was too late. Dusty quit the next morning."

"It's a start," Frank said when she had finished. "We'll check them out first thing in the morning," he said, stifling a yawn.

"Could you try and call your dad?" Joe asked Angelic. "We need to know if he was at the peier or if something happened to prevent his meeting us." Angelic nodded and went to the phone.

"Let's give her some privacy," Mrs. Hardy ordered, standing up and picking up her's and Angelic's cups. "Bring your cups boys," she added, then preceded her sons into the kitchen.

Angelic came into the kitchen a few minutes later. "The meeting had to be cut short because one of the men became seasick," she told them. "Dad went back to the hotel and fell asleep. He forgot to leave a wake-up call. He asked if you would meet him sometime later this week. His schedule is full," she explained.

Joe felt a rush of sympathy for her. Someone had been trying to kill her and her own father couldn't even take the time to try and help. He knew his dad would drop everything if he needed him. "Sure," he told her. "We'll talk to him later. We need to check out Cavanaugh and Bryson tomorrow anyway," he added, trying to be cheerful for her sake. He walked over and took her by the arm. "Right now, we all need to get some sleep."

"Are you walking me to your door?" she asked him as they climbed the stairs, amusement making her emerald eyes sparkle.

"Yeah," he answered, laughing. "I guess I am."

Frank and Mrs. Hardy heard them laughing as they went upstairs. "Joe seems to have worked out his problems with Angelic," Mrs. Hardy commented.

"Maybe now we can get to the bottom of this mystery," Frank said, agreeing with her. "Now that Joe's finally convinced she's innocent he won't be wasting time trying to prove she's guilty."

The next morning found Frank at his computer terminal. "What are you doing?" Joe asked, coming over to stand behind his brother so he could look over his shoulder.

"Back up," growled Frank. "You're dripping water on me."

Joe obediently backed up and removed the towel from around his neck and began drying his hair. "I'm using the Internet to find out where Cavanaugh and Bryson live," Frank told him.

"Can you find out anything else about them in Cyberspace?" Joe asked.

"Not without their social security numbers or breaking a few laws," Frank answered. "Here's Bryson," he said a couple of minutes later. "He lives in New York City. We could catch a train and be there in a couple of hours."

"What about Cavanaugh?" Joe asked, getting dressed.

"I'm working on it," Frank told him. "Here it is," he said a minute later. "Southport," he said, naming a nearby town.

"Tell you what," Joe said. "To save time, let's split up. I'll find Cavanaugh and you go after Bryson."

"What do we do with Angelic?" Frank asked him, considering Joe's proposition. "I don't like the idea of her leaving here, especially after last night's attempted break-in."

"She can go with me," Joe decided. "Maybe we should talk mom into visiting a friend until we get back," he added thoughtfully.

"Actually, I was planning on doing just that," broke in their mother from the doorway. She walked into Frank's room and set some clothes on the bed. "Be careful," she warned them before going out.

"I'm going to call Iola before we leave," Joe said, following his mother out the door. Using the hall phone, he called the Morton household.

"Joe, are you all right?" Iola asked when she picked up.

"Fine," he answered her, perplexed. "Why?"

"Callie told me about last night," she explained. "Frank called her earlier this morning."

"Oh," Joe said quietly. "I'm fine. How are you feeling? No after-effects?" he asked.

"None," was the reply. "I'm glad you and Angelic are getting along now," she added. "I hope you can find whoever is trying to kill her."

"We're following up some leads today," Joe told her.

"Are you busy tonight?" Iola asked.

"What did you have in mind?" he asked, his face breaking out in a huge grin.

"You owe me a movie," Iola reminded him.

"Pick you up at six?" he asked.

"Don't be late," she cautioned.

"No way," Joe said a little forcefully. "Frank can keep an eye on Angelic and it will just be you and me," he promised and then said good-bye. Hanging up the phone he turned around to find Angelic standing there.

"Hi," he greeted her. "I didn't know you were there. Wow!" he added, taking in her attire. Her mid-calf paisley skirt and peasant blouse combined with her ebony hair and emerals eyes made her look like a very appealing gypsy.

"Thank you," Angelic said and gave him a mock cutsey.

"Do you have any plans for the day?" Joe asked her. She shook her head and looked at him expectantly.

"Good," he said. "Frank's going to New York to check on Bryson and you and I are driving to Southport to check out Cavanaugh," he informed her. "We'll drop Frank off at the railway station on our way," he added.

"We'll see you off," Angelic said brightly to Frank as Joe pulled the van into the station an hour later. The three walked to the platform where the train was waiting.

"A lot of people still ride trains," Joe observed as he began to be crowded by people trying to get on the train. He took Angelic's hand and pulled her back. "We'll see you later," he said to Frank.

"Joe, look," Angelic said, pointing to something beside their feet.

"It's Frank's wallet," Joe said with a frown, and looked up. He saw Frank sitting a few seats back from the entryway. Frank!" he shouted, and held up the wallet. Frank looked at what Joe was holding and reached a hand to his back pocket. Finding it empty, he jumped up and went to the exit.

"Toss it!" Frank ordered Joe, as the train began to move. Joe pulled his arm back for the pitch. As the wallet began its journey from Joe's hand, Angelic tripped and fell into Joe, knocking his aim off. Frank made a wild grab for it and caught it between his thumb and forefinger. The victory catch had cost him. His dive had caused him to lose his balance and he fell out of the train car. 


	6. Chapter Six

Frank made a grab for the handrail and caught it. Putting his wallet between his teeth, he grabbed hold of the rail and pulled himself up as the train began to gain momentum.  
On the platform, Joe watched as Frank vanished inside the train and gave a sigh of relief. Turning to Angelic he asked, "After that thrill packed thirty seconds, are you ready to hit the road?"

She nodded and smiled at him. "Let's find this guy and nail him," she said with spirit.

"Whoa!" Joe cautioned her, laughing. "We have to see if he's behind this first." He took her hand and together they left the station.

Arriving in Southport an hour later, Joe pulled into a gas station. "Stay in the van and keep the doors locked," he ordered. "I need to check the phone book after I fill up."

"Joe," she said, a little hesitantly. "I need to use the ladies room."

"Can I pump first?" he asked with a suppressed sigh. At her nod, he closed the door and filled the gas tank. She jumped out of the van when he had finished and walked with him into the station. Joe paid for the gas and asked to see the phone book while Angelic went to the restroom. By the time she returned, Joe had found Cavanaugh's street address and purchased chips and sodas for himself and Angelic.

"I don't think we've been followed," Joe told her as they drove away. "I haven't seen anyone."

"That's a relief," Angelic said. "Maybe we can enjoy part of this glorious day," she added, looking through the window at the flowering dogwoods that lined the street they were on. Joe glanced in her direction and smiled at her exuberance.

"Perhaps we could have lunch in the park," Joe said in agreement as they drove past the town park where children could be seen playing on the monkey bars.

"Oh please," Angelic fairly shouted at the suggestion. "I love picnics."

"A picnic it will be then," he said, laughing openly at her. "But first, business," he added, sobering. He turned onto a side street and stopped in front of a mansion.

"Cavanaugh lives here?" Angelic whispered in awed surprise.

"This is the address I got from the phone book," Joe replied, mystified. "But if he declared bankruptcy, how can he afford to live here?" Opening his door, he climbed out of the van and went around to help Angelic out.

A maid answered their knock and escorted them into a lounge, requesting they have a seat while she informed Mr. Cavanaugh of their arrival. "Nice digs," Joe said in admiration as he looked around the large room. The walls were covered with art from various periods. There were two bare spaces on the wall where two paintings had been removed.

Mr. Cavanaugh came in and found Joe looking at one of the blank spaces. "The two missing are on loan to the museum," he told Joe, walking over and standing beside him. "Are you a connoisseur?" he inquired of Joe.

"No," answered Joe. "I have spent my share of time in the Bayport Museum though," he added with a smile.

"And how may I be of service?" Cavanaugh asked the two teens. Joe put a hand on Angelic's arm and squeezed gently. He wanted to do the talking.

"Do you know a Daniel Deveraux?" Joe asked him.

"Ah, a wonderful and magnanimous man," responded Cavanaugh, his face breaking out in a huge smile.

"I heard you didn't like the man," Joe said in puzzlement.

"Where did you hear such a false rumor?" Cavanaugh demanded.

"His daughter," Joe said flatly.

"Mmm," Cavanaugh murmured, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "She must have overheard me talking with Sarah."

"Sarah who?" Joe asked, watching the gray-haired man closely.

"Sarah's my daughter," Cavanaugh explained. "She knew I was getting deeper in debt after Deveraux took over my company and she came to me crying. I told her it was Deveraux's fault and he was the one to blame."

"But you just said," Joe started to argue, but Cavanaugh held up a hand for him to be quiet.

"Deveraux didn't like my spending so much money and told me he was planning on selling the company. My personal debts were enormous and I knew losing the excellent salary I had been receiving would prevent me from paying my creditors and I would lose everything." He paused to catch his breath before continuing. "Knowing I was facing bankruptcy, I had Sarah allow me to transfer everything I owned into her name. I didn't want to see my daughter penniless," he added, as if that was an adequate excuse for his actions, but Joe caught a gleam in the man's brown eyes as he talked which convinced him Cavanaugh was hedging the truth. "Three months later I filed for bankruptcy. My daughter allows me to live in this house and gives me a monthly allowance, and even lets me drive her car," he ended happily.

"Nice set-up," Joe said. "You cheated your creditors by appearing to have nothing. In reality it's still yours even though it has your daughter's name on it. Did you know fraud is a felony?" he demanded.

"I can see you're ready to leave," Cavanaugh said, no longer the friendly host. "Please, don't feel free to return," he added, showing them to the door which closed with a bang behind them.

"That went over fairly well," Joe said sarcastically. "What a creep!"

"If he's guilty of fraud, do you think he could also be responsible for the attempts on my life?" Angelic asked him.

"If anything, the man is indebted to your father," Joe replied with a shake of his head. "I just hope Frank's having more luck with Bryson than we had with Cavanaugh."

Upon arriving in New York, Frank went to the police station. "I'd like to see Chief Peterson," Frank told the sergeant at the front desk.

"You and a hundred more," growled the man. "State your business."

"My business is with Chief Peterson," Frank said. "Please tell him Frank Hardy would like to see him." The sergeant scowled but buzzed the chief on the intercom and passed the message.

Less than a minute later the door to Chief Peterson's office opened and the brown-haired, brown-eyed, fatherly man came out and grasped Frank's right hand in his own. "It's been awhile since you've been to see me," the Chief said with a smile.

Frank smiled back at the man who had been his father's partner before his dad had resigned to become a private investigator. "It has," he agreed. "I just wish this could have been a social visit," he added.

Chief Peterson ushered Frank into his office. "Okay," he said, taking a seat. "What do you need and why?"

Frank told him about the attempts on Angelic's life. "I need all you can get me on Dusty Bryson, including a current address," he concluded.

"No problem," Chief Peterson told him, picking up the telephone receiver. "It shouldn't take more than fifteen minutes."

True to his word, Chief Peterson informed Frank that Bryson had no priors and had given him a phone number and an address in the suburbs. After telling Frank to have his father give him a call, the chief told Frank good-bye.

Frank went to the pay phone outside of headquarters and called Bryson. He answered on the fourth ring.

"Sir, I wonder if I might be able to meet with you today?" Frank said after identifying himself.

"What about?" Bryson queried.

"It's about Angelic Deveraux," Frank replied.

After a slight pause, Bryson stated, "I barely know her."

"But you knew her father?" Frank asked.

"Very well," was the response.

"Please Sir, this is very important," Frank pleaded.

"All right," Bryson gave in. "Do you know where Gravity Defied is located?"

Frank knew he was referring to the aeronautical musuem which had recently opened. "Yes Sir."

"I'll meet you there in two hours," Bryson told him. "At the Challenger exhibit," he added before hanging up.

Frank took time out for lunch before heading over to the museum. Arriving fifteen minutes early, he looked around a little before going to the meeting place. When he arrived, he saw a tall, lean man with graying hair and glasses sketching part of the exhibit.

"Hello," Frank siad, walking up to the man.

"Frank Hardy?" asked the man without looking up.

"Yes Sir," Frank replied.

"What do you want to know?" Bryson asked Frank, putting his sketch pad down and looking at Frank with intensity.

"I'd like to know about the time you worked for Daniel Deveraux," Frank told him.

"I thought you said this was about Angelic?" Bryson parried, raising an eyebrow.

"Someone has been trying to kill her," Frank informed him. "We believe it may be due to a grudge someone has against her father," Frank added, deciding to play it straight.

"Why?" Bryson asked. "It would seem more probable the culprit could be found if you looked for her enemies," he said, surprising Frank. "As far as I know, Daniel had no enemies."

"What about you?" Frank asked. "I heard you were working with Deveraux the night your wife died and you quit the next day."

"I was and I did," Bryson admitted freely. "But Daniel was the best friend I ever had even though he didn't know it. After I stopped working for him, we lost touch."

"Why did you quit?"

"My wife had been ill for a long time and my funds were running low. Being an artist isn't very financially rewarding," he added ruefully. "I went to Deveraux Industries seeking a job. I have a degree in engineering and thought I could put it to use. When Daniel learned I was also an artist he asked me to help him with a special project with an increase in salary.

I found out about a month into the project that any engineer could have done the job. He had found out about my wife and wanted to help without embarrassing me," he looked right into Frank's eyes. "He was a fine man. He put her on my insurance, paying the substantial premiums himself, so I could have enough money to make my wife's last days, good ones."

"He sounds like a very good man," Frank said, perplexed. He was wondering how Deveraux could be so generous with others yet so callous when it came to his own daughter.

Bryson nodded before continuing. "As the project was nearing completion, my wife got worse. Daniel hired a live-in nurse to stay with my wife while I worked. I told him it was my responsibility but he insisted he needed me so it was his obligation to cover her care while I worked.

We had been working twelve hours a day for almost two weeks. Finally, we finished the project. We were having a drink to celebrate when the nurse called and said I should hurry home," he paused and swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat. "Daniel drove me home but we were too late. He stayed with me the rest of the night. The next day I told him I knew how generous he had been but since the project was finished and my wife was dead, there was no longer any reason for me to continue working."

Looking sad, Bryson finished, "Even after I quit, he helped me. He made and paid for all of the funeral arrangements. He also gave me two months severance pay."

"But you quit," Frank said, frowning.

"I told you he was very generous and understanding," Bryson said. "A better man you couldn't find. He's not the type of person to make enemies."

"And Angelic is?" Frank asked.

"I've only met her twice," Bryson stated. "Both times, my impressions were unfavorable."

"Why?" demanded Frank.

"I'm an artist. I believe I can read a person better than most people. There was something about her which troubled me." He raked a hand through his hair. "I shouldn't tell you this because I only found out by accident, but she was seeing a psychiatrist."

"How did you find out?" Frank asked.

"I heard Daniel tell her she had an appointment with Kevin Phillips. I found out a couple of weeks later what kind of doctor he was."

"Do you know why she was seeing him?" Frank asked.

Bryson shrugged his shoulders and picked up his sketchpad. "That's all the help I can give you," he told Frank. "I really don't know any more."

"Just one more question," promised Frank. "Do you know where I can find Dr. Phillips?"

"His office is at 1414 Belford. It's on the fifth floor. My sister works on the sixth floor of the same building," he added, explaining how he knew where Phillips' office was located.

Frank nodded, then held out a hand, which Bryson shook. "Thank you for your help," Frank said and left.

Once outside the museum, Frank caught a cab to the building housind Dr. Phillips' office. By the time he entered the office he still hadn't decided how to approach the man.

"May I help you?" asked the receptionist pleasantly.

"I would like to speak with Dr. Phillips," he stated. "It will only take a few minutes," he promised.

"Do you have an appointment?" she asked.

"No," Frank replied. "I'm not here as a patient. I just need to ask him a few questions."

"I see," she said, frowning slightly. "The doctor is with a patient now. If you wil have a seat I'll let him know you're here when he is free."

Frank thanked her and sat down. About twenty minutes later, a woman left the inner sanctum and the receptionist informed the doctor of Frank's presence.

"How may I help you?" Dr. Phillips asked Frank after he had taken a seat in front of his desk.

"I'm here about one of your patients," Frank said. "Angelic Deveraux."

"If that's the reason for your being here, then I am afraid you have wasted your time," Dr. Phillips said, rising from his chair. "What goes on between myself and my patients is confidential."

"I understand, Sir," Frank replied calmly, remaining seated. "However, someone has made several attempts on Angelic's life and we need to find out who and stop them before they succeed."

"Tell me about it," ordered Dr. Phillips, sitting back down and focusing on Frank's face with sharp green eyes.

Frank confided in the doctor, even going so far as to relate Joe's reaction to Angelic after Iola had been poisoned.

"Tell me," Dr. Phillips said, leaning back and looking at Frank through shuttered eyes, "how good are your brother's instincts?"

"The best," Frank responded without hesitation. "He usually right on the mark."

"And why have you not trusted those instincts around Angelic?" queried the doctor.

"We've been working hard lately," Frank replied. "He's stressed out."

"Are you stressed out?" the doctor asked, pointedly.

"I don't think so," Frank answered, frowning in thought. The doctor was leading him to the same conclusions his father had earlier. Could Joe have been right about Angelic after all?

"Can you tell me anything about Angelic?" Frank asked after a moment's thought.

"I saw her for almost two years," he told Frank. "But she canceled her last appointment about six months ago and never came back. There isn't much I can tell you except that she is a very complex individual."

After thanking him, Frank left and headed tot he train station. He was more confused than ever. He only hoped Joe was having better luck.

"This picnic was a great idea," Angelic said, smiling happily at Joe. "You were so smart to think of it," she added, taking a bite out of a potato chip.

"Mmm, thanks," Joe mumbled through a mouthful of the ham and cheese croissant he had bought.

"Let's swing," Angelic said after Joe had finished his last bite.

"Sure, why not," Joe agreed with a grin. He stood up and took her hand and pulled her to her feet.

"Climb on," Joe told her when they reached the swings. "I'll give you a few pushes before I start." She sat on the swing and soon she was high in the air. Joe took the swing next to her and was soon in a race to see who could go the highest.

Laughing, Angelic slowed to a stop and jumped off. Joe, who had begun to slow down when she did, jumped off his swing before it had stopped and together they left the park.

"It's getting late," Joe said on the way to the van. "We had better get back to Bayport."

"Do you like science fiction?" Angelic asked.

"Love it," Joe admitted.

"Let's check out the new Star Trek flick," she suggested. "I noticed it was playing when we drove by the theater."

"Maybe some other time," Joe told her. "I promised Iola I'd see her tonight," he added a bit hesitantly.

"Oh," Angelic said softly. "Maybe the three of us could go sometime?" she asked.

"Sounds good," Joe said, relieved because she wasn't offended. They crossed the street and got into the van. On the way, Angelic asked to stop at the convenience store again.

"Why don't you wait in the van?" she suggested. "I'll only be a minute." Joe started to argue but she held up her hand and continued, "We've been out all day and nothing's happened. I won't be long," she promised, getting out of the van and going inside.

When five minutes had elapsed and she had not returned, Joe went inside after her. Not seeing anyone he called out, "Angelic!" Receiving no response, he headed around the corner toward the restroom, falling over something as he turned the corner. Lying on the floor were Angelic and the clerk! 


	7. Chapter Seven

Joe dropped to his knees and checked Angelic's vital signs. Finding her pulse and breathing normal, he then checked on the clerk before calling for help. After hanging up, he quickly checked the store to see if anyone was hiding on the premises. By the time he got back to the front of the store, a siren could be heard.  
Angelic moaned and moved her head a little. "Shh," Joe said gently, kneeling beside her. He brushed the hair from her eyes. "Lie still," he ordered. "The paramedic's are on the way." She moaned again, but lay still.

The police arrived followed by the paramedics. Joe was answering questions with one officer when a second came over. "Apparently you prevented the robbery," he told Joe. "The money is still in the register."

"Maybe," Joe answered in disgust. "I should never have let her come in here alone."

"Explain that remark," ordered the first officer, suspiciously.

Joe told them about the attempts on Angelic's life and explained why they had come to Southport.

"What did you say your name was?" asked the second officer.

"Joe Hardy," Joe replied, pulling out his wallet and showing his driver's license.

"You're Fenton Hardy's kid," the second officer said, smiling in recognition. "I heard you and your brother were following in your father's footsteps."

"We're taking them to the hospital," one of the paramedics interrupted.

"Will Angelic be all right?" Joe asked anxiously.

"She appears all right externally," replied the paramedic. "But they can tell you for sure after they've checked her out at the hospital."

"You go ahead and follow the ambulance," the first officer told Joe. "I'll stop by after the manager arrives and we're finished here."

Almost three hours later, Joe called home. "Where are you? Are you okay?" Frank demanded upon answering the phone.

"We're at Southport Memorial Hospital," Joe told Frank. "I'm fine, but Angelic was hurt," he added, then told Frank about the day's events.

"Was Cavanaugh responsible?" Frank asked.

"I don't think so," Joe said slowly. "I may have spooked him, but he would be after me instead of Angelic if that were the case."

"What happened with Bryson?" Joe continued.

"He's clean," Frank said positively. "I'll tell you about it when you get home," he promised.

"They're keeping Angelic over-night for observation," Joe told him. "I'm going to stay with her. Could you please let her dad know? Oh, and call Iola. We had a date tonight," Joe added.

"Will do," Frank agreed. "Do you want me to come out?" he offered.

"No sense in it," Joe said. "We'll be back tomorrow morning," he added before saying good-bye and hanging up.

Angelic awoke as Joe came into her room and closed the door. "Joe," she said softly, opening her eyes and watching him walk over to her.

"Hey," he said, smiling and taking her hand in his. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," she replied. "What happened?"

"Don't you remember anything?" he asked her, absently rubbing the top of her hand.

She started to shake her head, then winced and said, "No. I have a crashing headache," she added.

"The doctor didn't want to give you anything tonight," Joe informed her. "If you're feeling better tomorrow, we can go home."

"I have to stay the night?" she asked in dismay.

"Don't worry. Frank will call your dad and let him know you're all right. And I'll be right here beside you if you need anything," he added reassuringly.

"I won't," she said. "Worry that is. You're very good at taking care of me."

"I shouldn't have let you go in by yourself," Joe chided himself. "This is all my fault."

"No it's not!" Angelic shouted as loud as she dared. "I'm the one who had you wait in the van," she argued. "It wasn't your fault any more than it was mine. The fault lies with the man who attacked me," she finished.

"You saw him?" Joe asked, picking up on her last sentence.

"No," she denied. "I just meant the person who attacked me was to blame." She paused for a minute, then asked, "Do you think Cavanaugh did this?"

Joe shook his head. "The police questioned him. He has a sound alibi. Don't worry about it tonight," he added. "Just get some rest and we'll work it out tomorrow."

"Okay," she agreed. "Good night," she murmured, closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.

Joe stayed awake a little while longer thinking over the case. Cavanaugh and Bryson were innocent of the attempts on Angelic and that left their case at a dead end. He replayed some of the events in his mind before falling asleep.

"I'd like room 419, please," Frank said when the hotel operator answered the phone at the Bayport Inn.

"Hello," answered a voice seconds later.

"Mr. Deveraux," Frank began, "this is Frank Hardy."

"Who?" asked the voice.

"Frank Hardy," Frank said a bit more slowly.

"No," said the voice. "I meant, who did you want to talk to?"

"Daniel Deveraux," Frank replied. "This is 419, isn't it?"

"You got the right room kid, but there's no Deveraux here. He must have checked out this morning."

"Oh," Franks said thoughtfully. "Sorry to have bothered you," he apologized and hung up. He called Iola and explained what had happened in Southport then went into the kitchen.

"Mom," he said, coming up behind her. "I'm going over to the Bayport Inn."

"Why?" she asked, turning from the dishes and looking at him.

Frank picked up a towel and began drying the dishes in the drainer. "Something doesn't feel right about this case," he finally said. He told her about his conversation with Bryson and about what had happened to Angelic. "Now I've discovered her dad and isn't where he's supposed to be."

"It is possible someone has something against her instead of her dad," Mrs. Hardy said thoughtfully.

Frank nodded in agreement but was frowning. "I just can't help feeling I've missed something," he said, trying hard to think of what it could be.

"It'll come to you," assured Mrs. Hardy, giving Frank a quick kiss and taking the towel away from him hanging it on the towel rack. "Don't be out too late," she added, leaving the kitchen.

Upon his arrival at the hotel, Frank went straight to the desk. "Excuse me," he said to get the receptionist's attention.

"Frank," the man greeted him on turning around to face the front. The receptionist had seen the Hardy boys many times. "What is it this time? Need a certain room?" he inquired, lowering his voice and looking around.

"Not this time," Frank said with a smile. "Craig, I need to know whatever you can tell me about the former occupant of room 419."

"Let's see," Craig said, looking at the ledger. "Jeff Sorrenson. He's here with..."

"Wait a minute," Frank interrupted him. "I need the occupant before."

"Oh," Craig said and flipped a page. "Here it is. Daniel Deveraux. He paid in cash for two rooms."

"When did he check out?"

"Yesterday," Craig answered. "Both rooms," he added, looking at Frank, who was staring at him is surprise.

"What does he look like?" Frank asked.

"I've never seen the man," Craig stated. "But I can talk to who checked him out for you," he offered.

"No," Frank declined. "I'm pretty sure his daughter checked him out. See if you can find out who checked him in or if one of the maids has seen him," Frank suggested instead.

"Will do," Craig promised, his brown eyes twinkling because he could help with the case.

"Wake up Frank," he heard a voice calling from the edge of a haze. After returning home he had gone straight to bed, but had tossed and turned most of the night, finally losing complete consciousness as exhaustion took over. Now someone was pulling him out of his much needed rest.

"Frank," came the voice again, a bit louder and more insistent. "Sam's on the phone."

Frank's eyes popped open and he shoved the covers aside, jumping from the bed and rushing to the hall phone with a quick, "Thanks, mom," as he passed by her. Picking up the receiver he said, "Hi, Sam."

"Good morning to you too," Sam said brightly. "Ready for a beautiful day?" he asked with a little laugh.

"Huh?" Frank said, then looked out the window. "Great," he grumbled. "It's pouring the rain."

"Cheer up," Sam urged him. "I've got some news for you. First off, your man Deveraux has no priors. Next, I checked his credit history which is a bit of a puzzle."

"What do you mean?" Frank demanded, fully alert.

"The man seems to be wealthy. Up until eight months ago he owned Deveraux Industries. Then the entire place was put up for sale. His credit cards show the same thing," Sam continued. "He had an excellent credit standing with seven different agencies, then one day, all his credit balances were paid and the accounts closed."

"Any outstanding debts?" Frank asked.

"Not unless the man is into heavy gambling," was the reply. "I haven't had a chance to talk to anyone who knows him yet," Sam added.

"Don't worry about it," Frank told him. "You've helped a lot. Thanks."

"Let me know about this guy, hmm?" Sam asked. "If you didn't know this guy, I'd say he was dead."

"Why?" Frank asked, not understanding.

"Closing his estate would include selling his business and paying off all his debts," Same explained before hanging up.

Frank put down the receiver and walked slowly back to his room. He had a lot of questions for Angelic. He frowned as he thought about Joe. He had made a total turn around regarding his opinion of her and he had a sinking feeling Joe wasn't going to like the kind of questions he needed to ask.

After showering and changing he went downstairs for breakfast. He had just finished eating when the phone rang. "I'll get it," he told his mother as he stood.

"Frank!" came Joe's excited voice. "Cavanaugh may be our man. He skipped town after being questioned last night!" 


	8. Chapter Eight

"Calm down," ordered Frank. "From the beginning, please"  
"Officer Higgins called about an hour ago," Joe told him. "Cavanaugh vanished, taking all the money in his daughter's checking's account."

"How did he manage that?"

"She let him, of course," Joe said with disgust. "She was involved in the fraud up to her neck," he continued.

"I'll come down," Frank decided.

"No need," Joe quickly told him. "Officer Higgins is going to let me look around Cavanaugh's place in a little bit. I thought I could do that while Angelic is waiting to be released. An officer will watch her until I get back," he added.

Joe hung up and went to the nurse's station to ask about the clerk's condition. Finding out he was still in a coma, Joe returned to Angelic's room.

"Hi, Bright Eyes," he greeted her as he entered. She looked up and smiled.

"Hi, yourself," she said. "How is the clerk?"

"He's still in a coma," Joe informed her. "Officer Higgins is sending someone over to stay with you while I go over to Cavanaugh's," he added, then told her about Cavanaugh's disappearance.

"So he is the one behind these attacks," Angelic said.

"Looks like it," Joe agreed. "Don't worry," he assured her. "Now we know who we're looking for, you should be safe," he told her, mentally crossing his fingers, hoping he was right.

After the officer arrived, Joe went to Cavanaugh's house where he was greeted by Officer Higgins. They made a thorough search of the downstairs, then went to the second floor.

"Have you turned up anything on him yet?" Joe asked the officer.

"Not yet," was the reply. "We have an all points bulletin out on him and all the airports and bus and train stations are being monitored."

"Road blocks?" Joe asked. Officer Higgins confirmed they, too, were in effect.

At the top of the stairs, they split up. Joe went into what had obviously been Cavanaugh's bedroom. The bedspread had creases showing where a heavy object, probably a suitcase, had been placed. The drawers in the bureau were empty. Knowing his own father sometimes taped a notebook underneath a drawer, he checked them, but came up empty. He looked uner the bed and fopund a pair of loafers.

Next, he checked the closet. He found a couple of suits and checked the pockets. All he found was a stick of gum and a few pennies. The wastebasket was empty so the oly thing left to be searched was the desk. He pulled out the chair and sat down to conduct his search. The desk held nothing of interest. He pushed back from the desk and stood up quickly. The chair flipped over. Joe bent to pick it up and in doing so saw a notebook secured beneath the seat.

Grinning, Joe removed the notebook before righting the chair. He then sat back down and scanned the notebook which turned out to be Cavanaugh's journal.

Fifteen minutes later, Officer Higgins came into the room. "I haven't found anything to use against him," he informed Joe.

"I did," Joe stated and held up the journal, his eyes sparkling. "He brags about how he outwitted his creditors in here," Joe told him. "There isn't anything about the attacks on Angelic, but there's enough to convict him for fraud," he added, handing the notebook to the officer.

As Joe was leaving, he asked Officer Jiggins to call him if the clerk could give any information when he came out of his coma. After receiving his promise, Joe drove to the hospital and picked up Angelic. A little while later, they were on their way back to Bayport.

On arriving, they were greeted at the door by Mrs. Hardy. "Angelic, you poor dear," she said. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"Much better, thank you," Angelic replied, smiling at Mrs. Hardy's concern. "You remind me of my mother," she added. "She was always so worried about me."

"Was?" asked Frank, coming to greet her and Joe.

"Yes," she replied with a slight nod. "My mother had a stroke last year," Angelic explained. "She isn't really conscious of anyone or anything now," she ended tearfully.

Joe put an arm around her shoulders and she leaned into him. "Do the doctors think she'll get any better?" he asked sympathetically.

"Not really," she said, pulling back and shaking her head mildly. "They said there was always a chance but we shouldn't hold out much hope." Joe squeezed her shoulder gently in comfort.

"Angelic," Mrs. Hardy said after a minute. "Why don't you go upstairs and freshen up? I'll have lunch ready in a few minutes." Angelic nodded her acquiescence and left. "I'll leave you, too," she added to her sons. "I'm sure you have a lot to discuss."

Frank and Joe went into the living room for a conference. After Joe recounted everything he had learned in Southport, Frank told Joe about his meeting with Bryson and Dr. Phillips. He then told Joe about Angelic's dad having checked out at the same time Angelic had.

"But he wasn't there," Joe said with a frown.

"Angelic had to have checked him out," Frank stated firmly. "And there's more," he added, then proceeded to tell him what he had found out from Sam.

"I don't get it," Joe said, the frown wrinkling his forehead.

"We've got to ask Angelic some questions if we're going to find out what's going on," Frank told Joe, watching him closely for his reaction.

Joe took a deep breath then surprised Frank by agreeing with him. "However, let's wait until after lunch," Joe stipulated. "And don't badger her," he added in warning.

"Would I do that?" Frank asked, looking wounded.

"In a heartbeat," Joe acknowledged with a scowl. "She's been through a lot and all she needs is for us to make things worse," he added, still mentally kicking himself for doubting her earlier.

They heard Angelic coming down the stairs and rose to greet her. Then the three of them walked into the kitchen to join Mrs. Hardy for lunch.

When lunch was finished and the dishes had been cleaned and put away, Mrs. Hardy left to visit a friend. Frank, Joe and Angelic went into the living room for their questioning.

"Angelic," Joe started the conversation, "Frank tried to call your father yesterday to let him know you were in the hospital but Frank was told your dad had checked out when you did."

"Why did you check him out and not tell us?" Frank demanded, ignoring the warning look Joe shot him.

"He asked me to!" she shouted at Frank hotly. "He said it would be a good idea because if someone were out to get him then it would be harder to do if no one knew where he was," she told him, crying.

"But no one's out to get him," Frank siad, suspiciously. "You're the one who has been in all the danger."

"No, I'm not," she denied.

"What do you mean?" Joe asked, sitting back and looking at her in confusion.

"Dad has been receiving phone calls telling him he was going to pay," she explained. "When I first told him about Iola being poisoned, he looked upset. I asked him what was wrong and he said it had been a warning to him."

"How could Iola being poisoned have been a warning to him?" Frank demanded, disbelief written on his face.

"He said the last message he received told him someone close was going to get hurt if he didn't do what he was told to do. He felt I was the one who should have gooten sick instead of Iola," she stated. Turning to Joe, she added, "He told me if he couldn't be found then he wouldn't have to do what they were trying to make him do."

"What's that?" Joe asked.

"I don't know," she said softly, her tears drying. "He never told me."

"What if you got hurt?" Joe asked, angry at her father. "Didn't he think this guy might take out his anger on you if he just vanished?"

She shrugged her shoulders lightly. "Dad hasn't been thinking rationally since mom's stroke," she replied.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Frank insisted.

"Would you do something your father ordered you not to do?" she demanded angrily. Her green eyes had lost their tears and now they glared at Frank like twin emeralds.

Instead of backing down, Frank fired off another question. "Why were you seeing Dr. Phillips?"

She stood up, walked over to where Frank sat and slapped him across the face. "My life is none of your business," she hissed, then ran upstairs and slammed Joe's door.

"Smooth move, bro," Joe said sarcastically as he rose to follow her upstairs. He stopped in front of his door and rapped gently. "Angelic," he said. "Can I please come in?"

"So you can pick up where your brother left off?" she asked, huskily. It was obvious she was crying.

"No," Joe denied softly. "I just want to make sure you're going to be all right." He waited silently while she made up her mind, then the door opened and he went inside and sat on the bed. She came over and sat beside him.

Taking her hand in his, he looked in her eyes and said, "Frank's not very understanding but he means well." She started to pull her hand away, but he held on. "I'm not excusing him," he went on to say. "It's just he wants you to be safe and he follows every angle no matter how wrong it may be."

"What do you mean?" she asked, puzzlied.

"He just wanted to make sure you didn't have anyone after you instead of someone trying to get at your dad through you," Joe explained.

"What does that have to do with my seeing Dr. Phillips?" she asked. Her question stumped Joe. He had no idea what it had to do with her seeing a psychiatrist.

"Frank has a very analytical mind," he said, finally. "I can't even keep up with where he's going at times. But I'm sure he wasn't implying anything by asking you about Dr. Phillips," he continued.

"You really care about him, don't you?" she asked, looking at him thoughtfully.

"Yeah," Joe replied without hesitation. "He's always there for me," he added with a smile.

"I sometimes wish I'd had a brother," Angelic stated a bit wistfully. "But then I would have had to share everything."

"Sharing is a good thing," he told her, laughing quietly and touching her nose with his fingertip.

"Okay," she said after a moment. "I'll give him another chance if you want me too," she offered.

"I wopuld appreciate it," Joe told her and stood up. "There's no point in us staying inside all day," he said, looking down at her. "Why don't we go out?"

"Where?" she asked.

"I think we should go back to the convience store where you girls went the other day," he told her. "If you were followed, the odds are the person following you was also in the store and maybe the clerk will remember him."

"Great idea," she enthused. "Give me a few minutes to get ready?" she asked.

"I'll be downstairs," he said, agreeing to her request as he left the room.

"Is she all right?" Frank asked as Joe came back into the living room.

"Yes," Joe said, then told Frank his plans.

"Good idea," Frank stated. "While you two do that, I think I'll go and see if Craig has found out anything."

"Why not call?" Joe wondered. "It would be quicker."

"His boss doesn't approve of personal calls," Frank explained. He paused, then asked a bit hesitantly, "While you're out, would you try to get Angelic to tell you why whe was seeing a psychiatrist?"

"What does that have to do with this case?"

"Probably nothing," Frank admitted, truthfully. "But why should it be such a big deal? Lots of people see psychiatrist"  
"It's also a very personal thing," Joe remined him.

"Fine," Frank said in resignation. "Forget it. But," he added stressfully, "we will need to find out if she has any personal enemies."

"I'll see what I can get from her," Joe promised. "Just take it easy on her, will you?" he continued. "You were treating her much the same as I was before."

"I'll apologize," promised Frank.

"To who?" asked Angelic, walking into the room. She was wearing an old pair of blue jeans and one of Joe's tee shirts. She noticed Joe looking at her clothes and told him, "All of my shirts are dirty, so I didn't think you'd mind if I borrowed one of yours."

"No," Joe replied. "That's fine."

"Apologize to who?" Angelic asked again.

"You," Frank answered. "I was out of line," he admitted. "I want to help but sometimes I go about it the wrong way."

"You're forgiven," she told him with a smile. "Are we ready to go?" she asked them.

"It's just us," Joe told her. "Frank's going to see a friend."

After Joe and Angelic had left, Frank borrowed his dad's car keys from the hook by the door in the kitchen and went to the garage.

Climbing into his dad's car, he put the keys into the ignition but stopped short of turning it on. He noticed the hood of the car wasn't closed all the way. Getting back out, he left the door open and went to the front of the car. Without lifting the hood, he peered beneath it. Seeing nothing, he reached to release the latch and lift the hood.

A blinding flash caused him to tumble backwards into the shelves laden with tools. He threw his arms over his head as the wrenches, hammers, and other various tools came crashing down on top of him. 


	9. Chapter Nine

After the avalanche of metal had ceased, Frank rose shakily to his feet. His entire body ached from the pounding he had taken. Taking a few slow steps, he peered at the engine. More fireworks, he thought grimly, looking at the powdered remains. He blew the debris off and checked the engine. 'Must have been connected to the hood this time,' he thought. Seeing no real damage, he shut the hood and climbed behind the wheel.  
Holding his breath, he turned the key in the ignition. He let out a sigh of relief when the motor started without any more surprises. He backed out of the garage and headed for the Bayport Inn making a mental note to straighten up the mess when he returned.

"Man, you're not gonna believe this," Craig told Frank as he came toward him. "No one's seen the guy." When Frank didn't look surprised at the news, he continued. "Sally, she's the maid who does the fourth floor, said his bed had never been slept in and the bathroom hadn't been used. It still had the safety paper on the lid."

"How did he check in?" Frank asked.

"He was checked in by his daughter," Craig informed him. "Jonny said she told him her dad had to go to a meeting but would be coming later in the afternoon so she would just check them both in."

Frank looked thoughtful, but not surprised. "You expected this?" Craig asked.

"The man is an enigma," Frank replied. "Nothing about him could surprise me at this point." He thanked Craig and left wondering what kind of scam Angelic and her father might be hatching.

"Are you sure you can't remember anything?" Joe asked the clerk again, frustration making him agitated.

"Look, man, there were these three dolls in here," the clerk responded. "I wasn't paying much attention to the other customers." He looked at Angelic wolfishly.

Angelic smiled at him as she tucked her arm through Joe's. "Please try to remember?" she begged.

"Okay," the clerk said, finally closing his eyes and concentrating. "I think there were two guys in here then. One was Kevin. He works at the garage across the street. The other guy was about average height and build with dark hair and sunglasses."

"Any distinguishing marks?" Joe asked.

"Can't remember," was the answer. "Sorry."

"Did you see what kind of car he was driving?" Joe pushed for more information.

"A white Buick, I think," the clerk replied. "A newer model."

"Thanks for your help," Angelic told him, pulling Joe toward the door.

"He can't remember," Joe said in disgust once they were outside.

"You just have to know how to jog someone's memory," Angelic told him smartly, then laughed at Joe's expression. "Relax," she soothed him. "We did get a description."

"Yeah, one that could fit any number of people," Joe complained.

"We'll just scout around for a white Buick," she told him. "Or wait until we see one following us."

"You're getting good at this stuff," Joe told her, grinning.

"I could get into being a detective," she admitted. "It seems fun."

"It can be," Joe agreed. "But it's also dangerous."

"Which is why you're with me," she said. "What do we do now?"

"We go to the pizzeria," Joe answered. "We're going to see if anyone saw our white Buick or mystery man there."

No one had seen either, so they went to the hospital to try their luck there, which also proved fruitless. On their way out of the hospital an intern passed them saying, " Welcome back."

Joe spun around to follow him and find out what he had meant by the remark but Angelic grabbed a hold of Joe's arm. "Who was that?" she asked, pulling Joe to a stop.

"I don't know," Joe replied, a little upset that Angelic had prevented him from catching the intern.

"Of course you do," she insisted. "He knew you."

"I guess he must have," Joe reluctantly agreed as they made their way back to the van. He was still frowning as he climbed in and revved up the engine. He pulled onto the highway and headed home.

"Are you sure you didn't know him?" Joe was asking, only to be cut off when the van lurched into the rail along the highway as a car rammed into their rear. Joe held tightly to the steering wheel as he tried to bring the van under control. Just when he could get back onto the road, the van was hit again, this time along the side. Hitting a patch of mud on the side of the road, the van began spinning, Joe tapped the breaks and turned into the spin. Finally coming to a stop, Joe turned to ask if Angelic were okay, when the van was rammed once more. The van hit the rail hard, causing it to give way and the van moved toward the ravine below! 


	10. Chapter Ten

Joe caught a brief glimpse in the side mirror of a brown sedan speeding away. "You okay?" he asked Angelic. She nodded, but said nothing. "Okay, I need you to release your seat belt real easy and crawl to the back of the van."

"No," she whispered, afraid. She gasped as the van rocked on the ledge.

"Angelic, you have to move to the back of the van or we'll both go over," Joe told her.

"I won't leave you," she said stubbornly.

"You won't be," he assured her. "After you crawl in back, the van will be more balanced and I can call for the police and a tow truck."

She looked at him fearfully, then swallowed and pressed the release on her seat belt. She eased the belt back into the holder and started moving to her left, pausing as the van dipped forward.

"Easy," Joe encouraged her. "You can do it." Giving him a half-hearted smile, she began her journey to the back of the van.

After Angelic had sat down near the back door, Joe picked up the car phone and dialed nine one one. After explaining the situation and receiving a promise of help, he hung up. Not daring to turn around because it might shift the van, he spoke to Angelic. "You did great," he said. "You probably just saved our lives."

"No," she denied. "It was your idea. You're the hero."

Short minutes later, they heard sirens followed almost immediately by the sight of a tow truck and a police car. "Help has arrived," Joe said in relief.

Soon they were back on the road and Joe filled the officer in on what had happened. The driver of the tow truck came over. "You're not going to be able to drive it," he said, referring to the van. "Your brake line has been ruptured and the axle is busted."

"Tow us to the garage?" Joe asked. After promising the officer he would file a formal report later in the evening, he and Angelic climbed intot he van for the trip to the garage. Joe phoned home and asked Frank to pick them up at Gerry's Garage in about half an hour.

When they arrived home, Angelic went inside to talk with Mrs. Hardy who had returned home in their absence. Frank and Joe went to the garage to clean up the mess created from the mild explosion earlier.

"Did you see who was driving the car?" Frank asked Joe after they had filled each other in on the events of the day.

Joe shook his head and sighed. "This case is going no where," he told Frank. "We have two possibilities. Cavanaugh and the man in the Buick. But Cavanaugh didn't have a problem with Deveraux and the guy in the Buick was seen only at the convenience store."

"We do have one more suspect," Frank told him, leaning against the car and looking at Joe. "Daniel Deveraux."

"But he wouldn't try to kill his own daughter," Joe argued. "From what Bryson told you, Deveraux sounds like a decent guy."

"A decent guy who doesn't have time for his own daughter when someone has been trying to kill her," Frank reminded Joe.

"Angelic explained that," Joe said.

"I don't buy it," Frank argued. "I think she's afraid and is covering for him."

"If he were behind the attempts, then why would she cover for him?" Joe demanded. "I know I'd try and get help if I could."

"She was seeing a psychiatrist," Frank reminded him. "Maybe she was having problems with her dad," he suggested. "Perhaps the doctor advised her to get help and that's why she quit going. Maybe she's too dependent on her father to get away from him."

"Your just speculating," Joe argued.

"Then find out exactly why she was seeing the psychiatrist," Frank ordered. "Find out what kind of relationship she has with her father. She won't tell me but she does seem to like you in spite of the way you trested her earlier."

Joe thought about it, then agreed to speak with Angelic on the subject. "I don't buy your theory about her dad, though," he said. "My money's on the guy in the Buick."

"Then we'll start looking for the car with the matching mystery guy after dinner," Frank promised. "Which it's time for now," he added, looking at his watch.

The garage back in order, the boys went inside and washed up. After dinner it was decided Joe and Angelic would take Mrs. Hardy's car to the police station to file a report about the highway attack while Frank would take his dad's car and start scouting around for the Buick.

"I'll check out the area near the amusement park," Frank told Joe. "Why don't you two check out the east end of town after you finish at the station. We can meet up at the dairy house at nine," he suggested.

"Keep an eye out for a dented brown sedan," Joe added, as Mrs. Hardy rose and began clearing the dishes. Joe and Angelic left for the police station while Frank remained long enough to help his mother with the dishes.

"What's your dad like?" Joe asked Angelic once they were on their way.

"He's great," she replied. "Why do you ask?"

"You're pretty terrific," Joe replied by way of an explanation. "I just wondered how much your dad had to do with it."

"Pretty much," she answered truthfully. "Dad and I were pretty close."

"Were?" Joe asked with a quick glance in her direction.

"Before mom's stroke," she explained. "He changed afterwards. We stopped spending time together. He stopped caring," she added so softly Joe could barely hear her.

"I'm sure that's not true," Joe told her gently. "People deal with grief in a variety of ways. Maybe he just hasn't figured out how yet."

"My mom's dead," Angelic said suddenly, with feeling. "She just lies there. She can't hear you or talk to you or anything. She's dead inside," she said with vehemence.

"And you're mad at her?" Joe asked slowly, kind of understanding her feeling of desertion.

"No!" Angelic denied loudly. Joe said nothing. "Okay," she admitted finally. "A little."

"Is that why you were seeing Dr. Phillips?" Joe asked. "To help you deal with what happened to your mom?"

"Yeah," she admitted. "I couldn't tell your brother," she continued. "How do you tell someone you hate your mother for leaving you when it isn't even her fault?" she asked, tears streaming down her face.

Joe pulled over to the side of the road and held her while she cried. Soon she pulled back and looked up at him. "Do you think I'm a terrible person?" she asked.

"Not at all," he replied. "Everyone gets angry over things which are out of their control at some point in time. I get mad at my family at times but that doesn't mean I don't love them," he added. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, if you didn't care then you couldn't get angry."

"i understand what you mean. If I didn't love mom so much, then her withdrawal after the stroke wouldn't have hurt so much. I wouldn't have felt so alone." She reached up and pushed back a stray strand of Joe's hair from his eyes. "You're really a very sensitive guy," she stated, causing Joe to blush.

Joe started up the van and pulled back onto the road. "Don't let anyone else find out, okay?" he asked in a conspiratorial whisper, grinning. She smiled back and they rode the rest of the way tot the police station in silence.

Joe and Angelic filed their report and then Joe went to see Sergeant Con Riley, a friend of his and Frank's. Con told him they hadn't come up with anything except the type of fireworks used on Callie's car which were sold all over town.

"Let us know if you get any real leads?" Joe requested.

"I will," promised Con as Joe left.

Joe and Angelic left the station and headed east. "Keep your eyes open for a brown sedan and a white Buick," Joe ordered Angelic.

After driving around for an hour, Joe headed the car toward the dairy house to meet Frank. Frank was waiting when they arrived.

"I think I found the mystery man in the Buick," Frank told them after they sat down.

"Where?" Joe asked.

"At the motel a couple of blocks from the amusement park," Frank answered. "I saw him pull into the place and followed him. He asked for a wake-up call for eleven tonight, then he went to bed."

"I wonder where he's going tonight," Joe remarked.

Frank shook his head. "I don't know," he said. "But I don't think he's the guy who rammed you earlier. Not unless he stole the sedan and ditched it later," he added.

"It is possible there is more than one person behind this," Joe mused.

"True," agreed Frank. "But I still have my doubts about this guy."

"Why?" Joe asked.

"I called a friend at the license bureau," Frank told him. "The car belongs to a Sarah Jameson in Northridge, about two hundred miles from here. I called her. She said she had loaned it to her nephew, Steve Merricott, so he could attend a business meeting," he explained. "The description she gave me of her nephew matched the driver I saw."

"He could still be behind this," argued Joe.

"Which is why we are going to follow him tonight," Frank said, placatingly.

"Angelic, you had better stay with mom tonight," Joe told her.

"If you want me too," she agreed readily. Frank frowned but didn't say anything.

After devouring their ice cream, they headed home. Joe saw Angelic safely inside and asked his mom to turn on the alarm. He and Frank then took their mother's car and drove to the motel.

Sitting in front of room 107 was a white Buick. "It's twenty till eleven," Joe said, checking his watch. "Let's check out the car," he suggested.

"You check it out," Frank replied. "I'll keep watch in case he comes out early."

Joe crept to the car and eased the door open. He saw a slip of paper beside the driver's seat and was leaning over to pick it up when he heard a shot. Immediately, the car's windshield exploded in thousands of pieces. Joe slumped down on the seat, blood dripping on the upholstery. 


	11. Chapter Eleven

Frank made a dash for the Buick as he heard a door slam. A few seconds later a brown sedan sped past him. He looked at the license tag but could only make out the first letter through the mud covered plate.  
As Frank reached the Buick, the door to room 107 opened and Merricott stood there. "Hold it right there!" he shouted at Frank. "I've called the police."

"My brother's been shot!" Frank yelled at him. Joe was trying to get up when Frank reached him. "Stay still," Frank ordered. "You've been shot."

"No," Joe said, reassuring his worried brother. "Some glass from the windshield got me," he explained, rising from the broken glass with Frank's help.

Merricott came over with a towel he had run into his room and pulled from a rack in the bathroom. Frank took the towel and swiped gently at Joe's shoulder. "There's a large piece in here," he told Joe.

"Pull it," Joe ordered, and gritted his teeth as Frank did just that. Then he put the towel on Joe's shoulder and applied pressure. By the time the bleeding had stopped, a police car had arrived.

"What's going on here?" demanded the officer.

Frank told him about the brown sedan which had screeched past him seconds after the shot then went on to tell him about the same car running Joe off the road earlier.

"Sounds like someone's really got it in for you," said the officer to Joe. "Do you need an ambulance?"

Joe declined and Frank promised to take him to the hospital for stitches.

"Hold on a minute," demanded Merricott. "I want to know why you were in my car?"

Joe took a deep breath and explained why he and Frank were there. The officer asked for the man's identification. While he was checking it out, Merricott told the boys he was in town on business. His being in the store with the girls had been a coincidence. "To be perfectly honest, I was too busy trying to find the lowfat stuff in that place to even look at the other customers," he admitted.

The officer returned and verified the man's credentials to the boys. They offered to pay damages after they apologized but Merricott assured them his aunt's insurance company would cover the damages.

"One thing we know for sure, the guy in the brown sedan is behind all of this," Joe told Frank when they were on their way home.

"Maybe we ought to see if the sedan was seen around the hospital," Frank suggested. "But I kind of hate to go back to the hospital," he added. "I sort of made a fool of myself when I asked about who had been around Callie's car."

"Isn't easy to control your emotions when someone tries to hurt someone you care about, is it?" Joe asked smugly. Frank wrinkled his nose at Joe but said nothing. "I'll check at the hospital when I get my shoulder seen about," offered Joe. "You check the pizzeria."

"Agreed," Frank said, after checking his watch and realizing the pizzeria would be open for another two hours.

Joe dropped Frank off at home to get their dad's car before driving to the hospital. Frank went inside and informed his mother of their plans. After assuring them Joe wasn't hurt bad and saying good night, he went to the garage and climbed in the car. A short while later he arrived at the pizzeria. Inside were Callie, Iola, Chet, Biff, Karen, and another friend, Jerry Gilroy.

"Hey Frank!" Callie called out when she saw him in the doorway. "Have a seat," she added, scooting over as he drew near.

"Thanks," he said, sitting down beside her.

"Have you found out who has been trying to kill Angelic yet?" Iola asked.

Frank shook his head then brought everyone up to date on what had been happening. "So did any of you see a brown sedan around here when Iola was poisoned?" he asked.

"No," Callie said, frowning. "But I did see one this morning," she added. "I saw Joe driving the van and there was a brown sedan four cars behind him."

"Did you get a look at the driver? How about the tag number?" Frank asked, his eyes bright with the scent of a clue.

"I didn't see the license," she told him. "But I did get a look at the driver."

"Describe him," ordered Frank, giving her his undivided attention.

"He had gray hair and was kind of thin," she replied. "He was wearing a pale blue dress shirt," she added. "That's all I remember seeing. He drove by kind of fast."

"It's a start," he told Callie gratefully. "At least we have a partial description and that's a lot more than we did have." He stood up. "I'm going to ask a few more people and then i had better get back home," he said. "I want to see if Joe found anything out at the hospital."

Frank found Joe at home reading a comic book. "How did it go?" he asked.

"No one knew anything about the sedan," Joe answered. Frank started to tell Joe about what Callie had seen, but before he could open his mouth, Joe continued. "But I know who it belongs to anyway."

"Huh?" Frank asked in disbelief.

"I called the Southport police and asked Officer Higgins if they had found out anything about the attack on Angelic yet. He told me there was nothing new on that angle but they had discovered Cavanaugh had skipped town in a..."

"Brown sedan," Frank finished for him. "What does Cavanaugh look like?"

"About six foot three, one hundred and thirty pounds, gray hair, clean shaven, and wears dress clothes," Joe answered. Frank then told Joe about the car and driver Callie had seen.

"I don't get it," Joe said. "I was positive Cavanaugh didn't have anything against Deveraux."

"Maybe he doesn't," Frank said thoughtfully. "Think about it," he urged his little brother. "He had a good thing going until you showed up. After the attack on Angelic, you set the cops on him. You're also the one who found his journal. Maybe he's after you and not Angelic."

"If that's the case, we're back where we started," Joe said with a groan. "We have no idea who's trying to hurt her."

"Mmm-hmm," murmured Frank.

"What?" Joe asked. He recognized the look on his bother's face which clearly meant he had something on his mind.

"Did you find out about Dr. Philips?" Frank asked. Joe told him about his conversation with Angelic on the subject.

"You and she are getting awfully close," Frank remarked with concern.

"She's been through a lot," Joe replied, starting to get angry.

"Chill out," Frank tried to calm him down. "I was just wondering if you were getting serious."

"Of course not!" Joe said hotly. "Iola's my girl."

"Maybe you should remind Angelic of that fact," Frank cautioned him. "She seems to be getting very close to you," he added before going into the bathroom and closing the door.

Joe picked up his comic but almost immediately threw it back down. He went to the door of his room and listened. He wanted to talk to Angelic but he didn't want to wake her up. After a minute, he decided she must be asleep and went downstairs for a snack.

In the kitchen, he walked over and switched on the alarm which his mom had turned off on his and Frank's return from the hotel. Then he opened the refrigerator and pulled out a jug of milk and a plate of left-overs. He pulled back from the refrigerator and started to turn toward the table when a hand clamped over his mouth and an object was pushed into the small of his back.

"One sound Blondie, and anyone who comes in here gets it too," snarled a voice close to his ear. 


	12. Chapter Twelve

"What do you want Cavanaugh?" Joe asked quietly after Cavanaugh removed his hand from Joe's mouth.

"You knocked me out of a good thing, kid," Cavanaugh replied, pushing Joe away from the refrigerator and closing the door with his foot. "Put the stuff on the table real easy," he ordered Joe. "You and I are going for a little ride."

Setting the milk and plate on the table, Joe asked, "How did you know I was still alive?"

"I doubled back and saw you and two other guys talking to a cop," Cavanaugh answered.

"Turn it off," Cavanaugh ordered, pushing Joe over to the alarm box. Joe silently complied. "Now let's go." He shoved Joe toward the kitchen door. They had almost reached it when the lights went out.

Joe, who had been waiting for a chance to get away, bent down and grabbed the hand holding the gun. Forcing the gun up, Joe pulled his arm back and let go with a solid right to Cavanaugh's jaw. As the lights came back on, Cavanaugh slumped to the floor, unconscious.

Joe glanced over at the light switch as he knelt to check Cavanaugh's pulse. He saw Frank standing there with a grim look on his face. "Great timing big brother," Joe told him with a relieved grin. "How did you know?"

"I didn't," admitted Frank ruefully, picking up the kitchen phone and dialing the police. "I came down to apologize for being so rough on you upstairs," he added, then spoke tot he officer who answered.

"I kind of deserved it," Joe told frank after he had hung up. "I have been spending too much time with Angelic. I guess I felt guilty about suspecting her," he admitted.

"Easy," Joe warned Cavanaugh as the man groaned and tried to sit up. "You're not going anywhere," he added. "You would be a lot better off if you told us what you've been up to."

"I'm not telling you anything," Cavanaugh snapped at Joe bitterly. The police arrived shortly and took him into custody. Joe put the left-overs in the microwave while Frank poured them each a glass of milk. After their snack, they straightened up the kitchen and went upstairs. Joe fell asleep immediately, but Frank was too busy thinking about everything that had happened. About an hour later, he was asleep.

Early the next morning, Frank woke joe up. "Come on baby brother," he urged. "We've got work to do."

"What?" Joe asked, yawning.

"I just got off the phone with Con," Frank told him. "Cavanaugh admitted to ramming you and shooting at you but he denies having anything to do with the attacks on Angelic."

"Do you think he's telling the truth?" Joe asked, now fully awake.

"Con does," Frank replied. "Which means we have to find out who is behind the attacks and the only way to do that is to find Angelic's dad and question him about the messages he has been receiving."

"I'd like to know why he hasn't been concerned about his daughter's safety," Joe added, his jaw tightening in distaste. "Just to take off and disappear like that, he must be a real slimeball no matter what Bryson told you." He paused and looked at Frank. "I know you think he was telling the truth, but is it possible he did lie to you?"

"It's possible," Frank admitted slowly. "The best way to see, I suppose, is to find out who Bryson's friends are and ask around."

"You do that," Joe told him. "I'll find Angelic's dad and talk to him."

"Do you think you can find him?" Frank asked.

"I'm sure Angelic knows where he is," Joe replied. "I'll find him," he promised, then went to take a shower.

Frank left for New York before Joe came out of the shower. He took his father's car, not wanting to wait on the train, and soon arrived in Bryson's neighborhood. He talked with the man's neighbors and discovered Bryson spent a lot of time at Peabody's in the city. He looked up the address and headed over there.

After about thirty minutes, he found himself in conversation with a man who had know Bryson for almost twenty years. "Ah, yes," the man said. "I remember Sally Bryson. Dusty loved her with all his heart but near the end it got to be almost too much for him. The man Dusty worked for, I think his name was Deveraux, he helped Dusty a lot. Dusty swears he's a saint."

A few minutes later Frank thanked the man for his time and left the cafe. He stopped by the new York City Police Department and asked to see Chief Peterson. Minutes later, Frank was sitting in his office.

"Now this is a surprise," the chief said. "Two visits in one week."

"I know," Frank said unhappily. "I hate to keep bothering you but this case is going nowhere." He brought the chief up to date on the recent attacks and Cavanaugh's arrest.

"Looks like you need a new suspect," Chief Peterson noted. "What kind of help do you need from me?"

"Do you know anything about Dr. Philips?" Frank asked. "Angelic stopped going to him for some reason. Maybe he did something that made her afraid to go back?" he theorized.

"And he's trying to keep her quiet?" Chief Peterson finished Frank's theory, then shook his head. "Your dad and I met Kevin Philips years ago. He's a good man and I would trust him with my life," he added. "Did he give you any reason to believe he might be guilty?"

"No," Frank admitted, shaking his head with the denial. "It was a shot in the dark. I guess I'm getting desperate," he added, running a hand through his hair and resting it for a second at the back of his head before dropping it and standing up. He began to pace the floor as he talked. "The only thing he did was ask me questions."

"What kind of questions?" Chief Peterson asked.

Frank frowned at him then said, "He asked if I trusted Joe's instincts." He stood still and thought for a moment. "Why would he ask me that?" he wondered out loud. He turned on his heel and headed toward the door. "Thanks," Frank said opening the door. "You've been a great help."

Frank raced out of the building, jumped in the car and drove to Dr. Philips office. "What do you want this time?" asked the receptionist wearily as he entered the office.

"I'd like to speak with Dr. Philips," he said politely.

"I'll tell him you're here," she said. "Please have a seat." A minute later she told him to go in.

"What can I do for you now?" Dr. Philips asked Frank after he had entered the office and closed the door.

"Why did you ask me if I trusted Joe's instincts?" Frank demanded. "Is Angelic dangerous?"

"You know your brother better than I," responded the doctor.

"I just spoke with Chief Peterson about you," Frank stated. "He said he trusted you. I want to know if my brother is in any danger by being with Angelic?"

"Why would he be with her?" Dr. Philips asked, sitting up straight and alert in his chair. "You said he didn't trust her."

"She said she was seeing you because she was having a hard time dealing with her mother's stroke," Frank said, ignoring the question. "Is that the real reason?" He noticed Dr. Philips eyes narrow and his lips pull down a fraction into a slight frown. "Is my brother in danger?" Frank demanded an answer.

"It's possible," Dr. Phillips admitted finally. "I can't tell you what she and I discussed while she was here," he added. "It's unethical."

"And it's ethical to let someone die if you could prevent it?" Frank retorted angrily.

"I told you Angelic was a complex person," Dr. Philips asserted. "When her father died she came to me for counseling. That was a month after the last appointment her father had made. Prior to that one time I had been seeing her twice a week. She came that one time on her own and made an appointment for a second visit, which she canceled in person. My seretary assured me she was in good spirits so I never tried to call her to reschedule."

"What did you say?" Frank had gone white as a sheet before Dr. Philips had finished his defensive speech. "About her father?" Frank clarified his question.

"After he died, she came to me once for counseling." 


	13. Chapter Thirteen

"Are you all right?" Dr. Philips asked, coming over and forcing Frank to sit down and put his head between his knees. "Relax and take a few deep breaths."

Frank did as he was told and slowly the color returned to his face. He stood up and reached for the phone. "Angelic's been lying to us. She told us her father was hiding," he explained as he dialed.

His mother answered on the fourth ring. "Where's Joe?" he asked.

"He and Angelic went to the hospital," she told him. "Why?"

Not wanting to worry her, he never answered her question. Instead, he asked her to keep Joe at home when he returned until he could talk to him. After hearing her agree, he said he was on his way home and hung up.

Frank thanked Dr. Philips, who was clearly curious about what was going on. Frank didn't explain. He needed to get home fast.

Earlier that morning, joe had decided to go back to the hospital and find the intern who had greeted him and Angelic yesterday.

Going downstairs, he told his mother where he and Angelic were going and they left after breakfast.

"We've been to the hospital several times," Angelic complained. "What can we possibly learn there?"

"I don't know," Joe admitted. "But I've got a feeling that today we're going to find out what's been going on."

She laughed nervously. "I certainly hope so," she told him. "All this tension is starting to get to me."

Joe glanced at her as he made the turn into the hospital's garage. "After we finish here i want to see your father," he told her. "I know you know where he is. If he doesn't want me to know where he's staying, then tell him to arrange a time and place."

"But he could get hurt," she protested.

"Angelic, it's very important," joe told her firmly. "I have to see him. No excuses. Will you arrange it?" he asked. She sighed unhappily as she nodded her acquiescence.

"Why don't you make the call while I see about a certain intern?" he asuggested, leading her to a pay phone before going to the nurse's station.

He was back a few minutes later. "No good," he told her. "The guy isn't on duty today. Did you get a hold of your dad?"

"Yes," she said with a smile. "He thought it was time to meet you anyway. He wants to meet us at the amusement park this afternoon at three."

"Great!" enthused Joe. "Maybe now we'll get somewhere."

"What are we going to do until then?" she asked. "Maybe we could hang out at the park until it's time?" she suggested.

"Good idea," he agreed. "I'll call Iola and see if she wants to come," he added, remembering what Frank had said last night.

"Why?" Angelic demanded, her green eyes flashing. "My dad won't show himself if she's there," she quickly added, seeing Joe's frown.

"Angelic, we need to talk," Joe said softly. He took her elbow and led her to the bench outside. "i apologized for the way I behaved when we first met," he began after they sat down. "But I still felt guilty and I think I've been overcompensating."

"What do you mean?" she asked in a soft voice, gazing into his eyes.

"I think I may have given you the impression that I like you too much," he said choosing his words carefully.

"I don't understand," she said, putting a hand on his arm.

Joe took her hand and laid it in her lap. "I care about you," he said. "But I don't care about you in the same way as I do Iola."

"I see," she said. "Maybe we should go back to your house until it's time to meet my father," she continued coldly. "I wouldn't want to make you feel you have to stay in my company." She stood up and marched toward the car.

"Aw, Angelic," Joe said, hurrying to catch up with her. "Don't be angry. I do care about you, but only as a friend." She kept walking and didn't acknowledge him. "Can't we be friends?" he asked in desperation, coming to a standstill.

"Friends?" she asked, stopping and turning to look at him. At his nod, she smiled brightly and held out her hand. "Friends," she agreed.

"Great!" Joe said, taking her outstretched hand. "Now, why don't we go to the amusement park?" he suggested, opening the car door for her.

"Aren't you going to call Iola and see if she wants to come?" she asked when he got behind the wheel.

"No," Joe said with a shake of his head. "You were right. Your dad may shy away if he sees anyone with us."

"If you're sure?" she asked cautiously.

"I am," he assured her. "Let's go."

When they arrived, Angelic saw a clown by the Ferris wheel. "Look," she said, grabbing Joe's left shoulder and pointing.

"Ouch!" Joe shouted, wincing in pain and pulling away from her.

"What's wrong?" she asked in concern.

"That's where the glass hit me when Cavanaugh shot at me last night," Joe explained. Then realizing she didn't know about Cavanaugh's midnight visit, he told her.

"Then why do you need to talk to dad if Cavanaugh's been caught?" she asked. "It's over."

"No, it's not," Joe said gently. "Cavanaugh was after me because I discovered his fraud. He wasn't behind the attacks on you."

"I'm scared," Angelic said, tears coming into her eyes. "I don't think I want to wait for daddy here after all," she added, looking around fearfully.

"Take it easy," Joe soothed, putting an arm around her shoulders and wiping away a tear with his finger. "I won't let anything happen to you," he promised.

She gave a wan smile and took a deep breath. "Okay," she said braely. "I'm in your hands."

"Good. Let's ride the Ferris wheel," Joe suggested.

"Okay," she agreed. Almost two hours later she suggested they get something for lunch.

"I am kind of hungry," Joe said, agreeing. "We're not supposed to meet your dad for another hour and a half. Let's go to the burger joint down the street."

"Sounds good," Angelic agreed.

Once there, Joe asked Angelic to place the order while he made a call. When he returned, he was frowning.

"What's the matter?" Angelic asked him as he sat down across from her.

"I just talked to Officer Higgins," he told her. "The clerk came out of the coma early this morning but he's still not fully conscious."

"That's good news," she said, watching him take a drink of his cola. "Why are you upset?"

"Officer Higgins said he kept muttering 'crazy girl.' Maybe we've been looking for the wrong type of person," he added thoughtfully. "Perhaps there's a female who has it in for your dad," he added, then took another large swallow of his soda. "I don't know why I'm so tired all of the sudden," he said a couple of minutes later, trying to stifle a yawn.

"You need to rest," she said and quickly got up and threw their lunch into the trash.

"Come on," she added, wrapping an arm around his waist as he stood and lurched.

"Crazy girl," Joe mumbled, his thinking growing fuddled and his gait unsteady.

They reached the car and Angelic pushed Joe into the back seat. "I'm not crazy," she told him as he drifted off into unconsciousness. 


	14. Chapter Fourteen

"Where's Joe?" Frank asked his mother, walking into the kitchen, and not bothering to say hello.

"They haven't gotten back yet," she told him. Seeing the worried look on his face she demanded to know what was wrong. Before Frank could explain, the phone rang. Frank raced over and picked it up before it had time to ring again.

"Is Joe Hardy there?" asked the voice on the phone.

"No," Frank answered. "I'm his brother, Frank. Can I take a message?"

"This is Officer Higgins with the Southport Police Department. I spoke with Joe earlier about the clerk at the convenience store."

"Joe told me about the attack," Frank informed the officer. "Has the clerk regained consciousness?"

"Yes," was the terse reply. "It seems your brother's friend attacked the clerk and then faked the attack on herself. I have alerted the Bayport Police Department and asked for an all-points-bulletin to be placed on her."

"Good," Frank said. "She and Joe left early this morning and haven't returned yet."

"You sound worried," Officer Higgins observed.

"Wouldn't you be?" Frank demanded angrily.

"She obviously staged the attack to get his attention," the officer said soothingly.

"She's also responsible for trying to poison Iola Morton and trying to blow up Callie Shaw," Frank informed him.

"Do you think they may have returned to Southport?" asked Officer Higgins.

"It's possible," Frank replied. "They are in my mother's car," he added and gave him a description and the tag number. "I'll call our police department and give them the tag number," he added before saying goodbye and hanging up.

After Frank talked to Con at police headquarters, he hung up and turned to his mother. She looked worried, having heard his part of both conversations.

"Angelic's father died some time ago," Frank explained. "She's been lying to us all along."

"Why would she do those horrible things?" Mrs. Hardy asked her son.

"Dr. Philips said she was complex," Frank told his mother. "He wasn't kidding." He sat down at the table and put his head on his hands. "Joe was right," he said. "He knew from the start Angelic was responsible."

"Wait a minute," Mrs. Hardy interrupted before Frank could say anymore. "Why did Joe change his mind about her?"

"Because we were nearly killed on the boat that blew up," Frank answered. "She said she was going to bed early but she really sneaked out the bedroom window and rigged the boat to blow up." He looked straight at his mother. "She saw me on the dock but didn't see Joe because he had gone the other way to llok for the boat. She didn't know Joe was there. He was supposed to have stayed home to keep an eye on her."

"Then there wasn't an intruder. The alarm sounded when she crept back into the house," Mrs. Hardy deduced. "But she seemed so upset."

"Was she upset when the alarm went off or after she found out Joe was gone?" Frank asked her.

"After," Mrs. Hardy replied thinking about it.

"Will you call Callie and the rest of the gang and ask them if they have seen Joe today?" he asked her. "I'm going to the hospital. Maybe someone saw which way they were going when they left."

"You can take your van," Mrs. Hardy said. "Gerry drove it over a few hours ago," she told him.  
"Great!" Frank said, giving his mom a quick hug. "Tell anyone who knows anything to call me on the van's phone," he added before he left.

Frank arrived at the hospital and went to the nurse's station on the ground floor. "I'm looking for my brother," he told the nurse and started to give a description.

The nurse interrupted him. "I know Joe well," she told him. "He's practically been haunting this place recently," she added.

"Do you know where he went when he left here?" Frank asked her.

"He may have gone to Charlie Bickers," she answered. "Joe wanted to talk to him, but it's his day off. Joe did say he would see him tomorrow, though."

"Do you know Mr. Bicker's address?" Frank asked.

"I can't give that to you," she told him with a frown. "You'll have to find out on your own like Joe."

"Please," he begged. "Joe hasn't been home all day and I'm sure he's in trouble."

"Okay," the nurse relented, punching in Bickers name on the computer keyboard. Five minutes later, Frank left the hospital with Bickers address in his right hand.

On his way to Bickers', Frank called home. "Any word on Joe?" he asked.

"Not yet," Mrs. Hardy replied worriedly.

"I'm following a lead," he told her. "Don't worry," he added consolingly. "I'll find him." He only hoped he was telling the truth.

"Be careful," Mrs. Hardy cautioned her son.

"I will," Frank promised before hanging up. He pulled into the driveway at the address he had been given. Before Frank could climb out of the van the front door opened and a young man in old jeans and a tee shirt came out.

Frank got out of the van and walked over to him. "Are you Charlie Bickers?" he asked. At the man's nod, Frank continued, "I would like to ask you a few questions."

"I really haven't time right now," Bickers replied. "I'm on my way to a game."

"Please," Frank pleaded. "It's very important." The young man stared at Frank for a few seconds and then gave a brief nod.

"My brother was looking for you earlier today at the hospital," Frank told him. "Has he been here?" he asked, giving a brief description of Joe.

"No, but I have seen him," Bickers stated.

"When?" asked Frank.

"At the hospital with a young lady," was the reply.

Frank described Angelic, "That's her," agreed Bickers.

"Had you seen her before?" was Frank's next question.

"Sure," he answered. "She was having trouble getting the hood of her car up so I gave her a helping hand."

"What kind of car?" Frank asked. After he had described Callie's car, Frank said, "That wasn't her car. She rigged the engine to blow up when the car was started." At Bickers look of shock, Frank added, "You need to go to the police station and talk to Sergeant Con Riley."

"I'll do that now," Bickers told him. He then looked Frank in the eyes and observed, "You're worried about your brother."

Frank nodded but didn't elaborate. He thanked the young man and left. He headed for the pizzeria. Finding a parking place in front, he jumped out and went inside. He saw a group of his friends and went over.

"Any news on Joe?" Chet asked, after swallowing a bite of pizza. Mrs. Hardy had called the pizzeria and asked if anyone had seen Joe earlier.

"None," Frank said despondantly. "Help me find him?" he asked the group.

"Sure," Tony Prito replied. "Where do we start?"

"The amusement park," Jill Fraun, Tony's date, said with a glance at Iola. "He was there with a brunette."

"Angelic," Iola said, her face hard. "What if she's hurt him?" she asked, upset. "He didn't trust her but we made him change his mind," she added, fighting for self-control as tears threatened her eyes. Mrs. Hardy had told them about Angelic when she called.

"Relax," Callie said soothingly. "She was trying to get rid of us because we were so close to him. She wouldn't hurt him, would she?" she asked, looking at Frank.

"She didn't know Joe was on the boat when she rigged it to blow," Frank said, evading a direct answer.

"Let's go," Chet said, not even finishing his pizza.

"I'll ride with Frank," Callie said, looking at him with concern. Frank gave her a small smile.

"We'll meet at the amusement park," Frank said. "Remember, they are in mom's car, so if you see it, give me a call," he added. All in agreement, they left the pizzeria.

At the gate of the amusement park, Frank asked the attendant about Joe. "Sure, I remember him," he told Frank. "He and his girlfriend got me to stamp their hands when they were leaving. They said they were going to Barney's Burgers for lunch but would be back."

"What time did they get back?" Callie asked.

"They must have changed their minds," was the reply. "They never came back."

"Thanks for your help," Frank told the man. "Callie, you wait for the others. I'll go to Barney's Burgers and see if I can find out where they went."

"Welcome to Barney's Burgers," greeted the employee behind the register. "Would you like to try our super combo?"

"Actually, I'm looking for my brother," Frank said. He described Joe and Angelic. "Have you seen either of them today?"

"Sure," the girl told Frank. "The girl bought their meals and took a seat. Your brother joined her but about half way through, the girl got up and threw their food away."

"Why?" Frank aksed.

"I guess because your brother got sick," she said. "When he stood up he nearly fell but she helped him outside and into a blue car."

"Did you see which way they went?" Frank asked, alarmed.

"South."

"You're terrific!" Frank exclaimed in thanks as he left the restaurant.

Outside, he quickly returned to the amusement park where the others were waiting. Frank told them what he had found out. "Let's split up," he ordered. "Tony, you and Jill cover the area of town by the waterfront. Chet, you and Iola take the area around the mall and those new apartment complexes. Callie and I will check out the other places between here and Southport." Shortly, they were all on their way.

"Oh," Joe groaned, opening his eyes. He was in a motel room and his wrists were tied to the headboard with two scarves while his feet had been tied together with his own belt. He looked around and saw Angelic sitting in a chair watching him.

"Why?" he asked her.

"I love you," she told him, coming over and sitting beside him on the bed. "We belong together," she continued, pushing his hair off his forehead. "You just can't see it."

"Angelic, why don't you untie me and we'll talk?" Joe asked, slowly, trying to think of a way out of this mess.

"We are talking," she told him with a giggle. "You're so cute when you're frustrated," she added, looking at the face he made. "Don't worry," she told him. "After you're used to the idea of us being together, I'll let you loose."

"What about your father?" Joe asked. "He'll be worried when we're not there."

At this, she broke out in hysterical laughter. "Oh, honey," she cooed. "Daddy won't be there."

"You never called him," Joe guessed in resignation.

"I couldn't," Angelic said. "He's dead," she added, shocking Joe.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Joe said. "I'm sure you two were very close."

"We were," she admitted, her voice steady. "Until mommie dearest found a way to get all of his attention," she added sarcastically.

"What?" he asked in disbelief.

"She had that stupid stroke," Angelic declared angrily. "Daddy stopped doing things with me. He said he wanted to spend more time with her so I had to stop him."

"How did you stop him?" Joe asked, dreading her answer.

"I played with the engine on his airplane," she told him with glee. "Now he's mine forever. No one else will ever take him away from me again." She looked at Joe and a gleam came into her eyes. "And no one will ever take you away either," she added in a softer tone. 


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Frank and Callie had checked out nine motels and were approaching the tenth when Callie gripped Frank's arm and pointed to a spot behind the motel. A small patch of blue could be seen between the trees.  
A quick check confirmed it was his mother's car. "Call the police," Frank ordered Callie. "Then let the others know we've found them. I'll find out which room they're in," he added, getting out of the van.

After checking with the motel's clerk, Frank obtained a key to the room Joe and Angelic were in. Frank ran to the room and tried to peer in the window, but the curtains had been drawn tight. He went to the door and peered through the keyhole. Not wide enough to see anything, he took the key and gently inserted it into the lock.

Opening the door slowly, so as not to attract attention, he could see Joe's and Angelic's reflections in the mirror.

"I didn't mean for Frank to be the victim in your garage," Angelic was telling Joe. "I know how observant your father is and I was sure he would come between us so I fixed it so he would fall back into the shelves. He was supposed to die when the tools fell on him. I don't know how Frank survived," she added, pondering the situation.

"What about the train station?" Joe asked. "Did you take Frank's wallet?"

"Yes," she admitted. "I knew you were clever," she added, leaning over and giving him a quick kiss on the lips. "I didn't want him talking to Dusty so I thought if I had his wallet, he would have to get off the train. But you tossed it to him." She laid her head on his chest as she continued, "So I fell into you hoping you would miss, but he caught it anyway," she added angrily, sitting back up. "He did nearly fall though," she added softly, as she pulled the pillow from beneath Joe's head.

"Who did you get to sideswipe Frank?" Joe asked, alarmed. If he could keep her talking he might have a chance.

"No one," she replied with a little laugh. "It really was a hit and run type thing." She kissed Joe again.

"Shh!" she ordered, putting a finger to his lips. "No more talking. Your brother is smart too. He'll find us soon and try to take you away from me. I can't let that happen," she told him, climbing onto his chest, one leg on each side.

"Just like daddy," she said. "No one will ever take you away from me." She pushed the pillow down on Joe's face before he could yell for help.

"No!" Frank shouted, pushing the door so hard it slammed against the wall. He raced over and pushed Angelic off Joe and into the floor, then pulled the pillow from his brother's face.

Joe took a couple of quick breaths then shouted out a warning. "Look out!" he screamed at Frank as Angelic jumped up from the floor and grabbed a lamp. She swung it at Frank's head but missed. The lamp crashed into the headboard sending shards of glass over Joe who shut his eyes when he heard the lamp hit.

Frank grabbed Angelic's wrists but found it difficult to hold onto her. She kicked and twisted and bit him until he finally had no choice but to release her. She pushed him and he fell into the night stand which turned over with him and he toppled to the floor.

Frank saw her grab a large piece of the shattered lamp with a jagged edge. She once again climbed on top of Joe. Ignoring the glass splinters that pushed into her legs, she lifted the piece of glass directly over Joe's heart.

"You're mine!" she shouted, over and over again. "You're mine! You're mine!" Holding the glass tightly, the blood pouring down her upraised arms as the ragged edges tore into her flesh, she brought it down hard! But the point never connected.

After Callie had called their friends she went to the motel room's door and watched as Angelic and Frank fought. When she saw Frank fall and Angelic get on top of Joe, she came running in and threw herself at Angelic. Both girls tumbled onto the floor.

Frank quickly got up and ran to Callie's aid. Together they managed to hold Angelic until the police arrived. Sergeant Riley and Sergeant Callouhan handcuffed Angelic and read her her rights while Frank and Callie untied Joe.

"I have never been so glad to see anyone," Joe said, finally able to sit up.

Angelic, hearing Joe's voice, looked over at him. "We belong together," she told him. "And we will be," she promised as she was led out of the room.

"She's really sick," Joe stated, not in the least angry at what she had tried to do to him.

"You sound sorry for her," Callie said accusingly.

"She still believes her father is alive," Frank told Callie. "She's been seeing a psychiatrist," he reminded her. "Her dad died before the doctor could really help her."

"Not exactly," Joe interrupted. "She killed her father because she couldn't stand to share him. Not even with her own mother."

Frank and Callie were too shocked to say anything. Frank helped Joe to his feet and they left the motel after telling Con they would go to the station in the morning to file a report.

Callie volunteered to drive Mrs. Hardy's car for them since Joe had been through too much to drive safely. At the Hardy home, Iola and Chet were waiting for them. Tony had left to take Jill home a few minutes earlier. After filling everyone in on the details, Iola and Chet left, agreeing to drop Callie off at her house on their way home.

Two weeks later the Hardy boys were gathered at the pizzeria with their friends. "Have they decided what's going to happen to Angelic?" Chet asked.

"Since everyone agreed not to press charges if she got help, she's been placed in a maximum security institution where she can get it," Frank told the group.

"Yeah," Joe added. "Since she's not in her right mind, she can't be held responsible for murder either. But it's still going to be a long time before she will be out, if ever."

"How did she do it?" Jerry asked. "If she's crazy, how did she know to send you guys looking everywhere but where you should?"

"She's sick, not stupid," Frank replied. "Her I.Q. is actually higher than mine."

"I'm glad she's getting help," Iola said, laying her head on Joe's shoulder. "But she should have known she could never have gotten past Joe's true love."

Joe looked at her and raised his eyebrows in question. Iola obligingly told him, "Adventure, excitement, and..."

"Mysteries!" all of the Hardys' friends shouted.

End 


End file.
